Medicines Australia chief executive to sleep in a box for CEO Sleepout …. again

Medicines Australia chief executive Dr Brendan Shaw will again brave the depths of Canberra’s perishing winter, sleeping in a cardboard box to raise money in support of homeless Australians.

Dr Shaw will be participating in the St Vincent de Paul CEO Sleepout on 21 June, outside the National Gallery of Australia. The Sleepout is conducted at centres around Australia.

“It’s a great thing to do for a good cause,” Dr Shaw said.

“With Canberra’s overnight minimums already reaching minus four degrees, I initially had some trepidation about sleeping out in the middle of a Canberra winter.

“But it occurred to me that for many people there isn’t a choice about whether or not to sleep out, they just have to.

“We need to do all we can as a community to help homeless people get off the street and into proper accommodation.

“Clearly there’s more we can do to support the homeless and perhaps end homelessness, so I’m really delighted to be helping out in is way.

“We need to be much more aware of the plight of homeless Australians. I hope that the CEO Sleepout will help give this serious social issue the attention it deserves.

“There are a whole lot of issues that homeless Australians have to confront every night which very often we don’t even think about. The CEO Sleepout gives participants a much better insight into some of those issues.

“Hopefully I can raise enough money to help make a difference and give me some solace through the night.”

Dr Shaw is also blogging on his training regime in the lead-up to 21 June.

-ENDS-

Contact Person:

Jamie Nicholson
Media Communications Manager
Phone: 0419 220 293
Email: Jamie.Nicholson@medicinesaustralia.com.au