Chief Bill Blair traded his warm bed for a cold night on the street with a piece of cardboard and a sleeping bag to raise awareness of the plight of street youth in the city.

He and 51 other business leaders and executives took part in the inaugural Covenant House Sleep Out on Nov. 15. to raise awareness and funds for Canada’s largest youth shelter. They slept outside from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Blair readily accepted Covenant House’s chief executive officer Bruce Rivers’ invitation to take part in the event for the agency that services nearly 3,500 youths each year.

“Every cop in Toronto knows the value of Covenant House,” Blair said.

“Those of us that work downtown, and I did that for many years, know that kids on the street are there because they are escaping from very difficult circumstances. They need a warm bed and compassionate support which they get here. The facility deserves our support because they do a great job in helping kids get back on their feet and lead productive lives.

“This is a chance for us to experience what some of the kids are going through. We know that tomorrow night, we will be back in our warm beds. The kids that are living on the street don’t know that for sure.”

The local effort was part of an international event that took place simultaneously at Covenant House sites across North America.

It’s estimated that about 10,000 kids annually spend time on the streets of Toronto.

Prior to the sleep out, Blair and the other executives including Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke and Venture Communications and Dragon’s Den star Arlene Dickinson, toured Covenant House and participated in a roundtable discussion with some of the kids.

Tiffany Macdonald, Covenant House’s special events manager, said the agency raised approximately $520,000.

“Our goal was $230,000, so this has been a great success,” she said.

“In addition to the money we raised, this event also gives the executives a chance to get to know the kids and it helps to break down stereotypes.”

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