Port Authority hosts annual CEO Sleepout fundraiser

On June 23 Port Authority hosted the 2022 CEO Vinnies Sleepout at our White Bay Cruise Terminal. Around 250 CEOs spent one of the longest nights of the year to raise money for Australians experiencing or threatened with, homelessness.

Port Authority’s sponsorship of the CEO Sleepout aligns with our business’s values of care; care for each other, our customers, stakeholders and community.

In addition to providing the venue, Port Authority CEO Phillip Holliday is a regular participant.

‘Every year I am inspired by the work of Vinnies and the 120 volunteers who run this massive fundraising event, which I was delighted to hear this year raised more than $9 million, nationwide,’ he said.

‘I know every dollar raised supports programs that tackle the root causes of inequality. Funds go to crisis accommodation, food, healthcare, counselling, education and employment, and resources to find people permanent homes, all year round.

‘This was my fourth time sleeping out at the event. The terminal gives participants a safe and relatively comfortable taste of what more than 116,000 homeless Australians face every night.

‘Even for an Englishman, the 8 degrees overnight low felt more than cool and a little miserable, and Vinnies always ensure there is a lot to reflect on over the course of the evening.

‘Volunteers share harrowing accounts about the circumstances that found them homeless, what it is like to live on the streets, and how the St Vincent de Paul Society supports them into accommodation and helps get them back on their feet.

‘The CEO Sleepout serves as a stark reminder that anyone can be affected by homelessness and that its impacts are far-reaching.’

Mr Holliday also acknowledged Port Authority’s staff who work behind the scenes with Vinnies to ensure the use of our site and facilities, and in turn this event, is an enormous success.

‘Supporting this initiative is a privilege and I am incredibly proud we can partner with such an important charity doing such vital work,’ he said.

Visit the St Vincent de Paul Society website for more information on their work in social justice and advocacy.

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