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WATCH: Sleeping rough in Sandton

SANDTON - THERE was philanthropy in the Sandton CBD as the 702 Sun International CEO SleepOut took place on 18 June at Primedia Broadcasting.

Hosted by Talk Radio 702 and Sun International, the event saw about 240 CEOs from across the private sector sleeping rough with only sleeping bags and cardboard boxes in the cold evening. This in an attempt to gain first-hand experience into the struggles South Africa’s homeless face, while raising R22.5 million for primary beneficiary Girls and Boys Town.

CEO of Primedia Broadcasting, Terry Volkwyn, said she was extremely happy with the turnout and hoped that all participants used the experience as a way to influence their corporate social investment budgets to help the underprivileged.

Watch a video of CEOs sleeping out and speaking out:

CEO of Girls and Boys Town, Lee Loynes, expressed gratitude to everyone involved. “They all worked extremely hard to make sure that this is going to work for young people in South Africa,” said Loynes.

Gawie Marais of BDO SA said, “I’m not sure how much sleep we’ll actually get. I reckon everything will go pear shaped round 12 when all the conversation dries up. This is a great initiative, and I hope to be part of it for many years to come.”

Kevin Norwitz of Eluvin Security said, “It will be a brilliant experience, it’s going to make everyone here a little more aware of why they donate money. You feel a little bit of the pain, you understand what it’s like standing in a homeless person’s shoes.”

Watch Joburg Today’s video on the CEO Sleepout:

The sleepout was also attended by members of government, including Gauteng Premier David Makhura, who commended the event’s attempt to assist his government with its social development initiatives.

Makhura said, “We, in government, are doing a lot of work with regards to social and economic development, but our work can never solve all the problems at once, so we need a helping hand. We need a lot of support from business people, but we also need citizens to assist us in building a more caring society.”

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