Come for the rally…Stay for the experience!

The statistics are real, since 2009, we’ve seen a staggering 48% increase in people needing help.

Just this last year, we saw a:

27% increase in homeless veterans
26% increase in transitional youth
20% increase in families requiring shelter
17% increase in women seeking assistance

Homelessness is growing, we need to act now. Your pledges help fund our program throughout the year.

TWO WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

Register
Register as an individual or team to sleep out and become a fundraiser for our event. By registering you will have access to your own fundraising page (or team page!) to collect donations from family, friends and colleagues.

Sponsor a Participant/Fundraise
If you can’t sleep out, you can sponsor a participant, or you can simply collect donations for McHenry County PADS.

THE “MAKE CHANGE” CHALLENGE

If you are interested in helping to collect donations for McHenry County PADS you can do so with our “Make Change” collection boxes. They can be left on your desk at work, taken to school; you can walk around your neighborhood with it, or even simply put it on your kitchen counter and empty your pockets of change each night.  Request a change box.

SHELTER BUILDING CONTEST

Get your duct tape, markers, paint and glitter ready…we want you to express your creativity with the shelter building competition!  This competition offers prizes for the shelter that exhibits the best in these four categories:

Homelessness Theme
Most Creative
Most Comfortable
Most Livable

To enter the competition, sign-up at the registration desk the night of the event.  WE will provide cardboard to build your “shelter.” Remember that in addition to promoting awareness on homelessness, your shelter also needs to be as comfortable as possible for you to spend the night in.  Bring a tarp to put under (or over) your shelter in case of inclement weather. A tour of the cardboard shelter homes will leave from the main stage after the rally.

You Must Sign-Up to Participate in the Shelter-Building Contest
There is no cost to participate in the shelter-building contest, but you need to sign-up by May 11 at 6:00 pm.  Sign-up forms will be at the registration table at the event.  Once completed, you will receive a number to attach to your shelter.  Judging will begin at 8:45 pm with the winners announced at 10:30 pm.

Rules
Maximum shelter size: 10’ x 15’
Acceptable building materials: cardboard, paper, tape, staples, chalk, props, string, rope, crayons and water based markers or paint.
Unacceptable building materials: wood, glue, non-water based paint or markers, large staples.
Battery powered lighting may be used for visual effect.

 

SLEEPOUT FOR SHELTER CHECK LIST

___Create a team. Remember, campers under 18 must have a supervising adult with them all night. Pick a creative team name!
___Start a fundraising campaign by sending emails to family, friends and co-workers asking for them to sponsor you.
___Think about what “home” you will create for the Shelter Building Competition.
___Collect the materials needed to build your cardboard home. Duct tape (lots of it!), water-based paint or markers, etc.
___Make your final donation requests! Post on Facebook, send one more email!
___Attend SleepOut for Shelter on May 11, 2013.