Joe Edwards and Josh Bekhuis are among those taking part in the Big Sleepout in Auckland tonight. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Joe Edwards and Josh Bekhuis are among those taking part in the Big Sleepout in Auckland tonight. Photo / Brett Phibbs
When Blues player Joe Edwards decided to sleep rough for a night to raise money for the homeless, his dad put his hand up to join him.
Edwards, 21, and teammate Josh Bekhuis, 29, have raised $1733 so far from friends, family and other Blues players for the Lifewise charity which organises the "Big Sleepout", where they will sleep rough with 113 other people tonight.
Invercargill-born Bekhuis heard about it because his wife Micaela works with rough sleepers in central Auckland.
"We both talked about it and Joe said it's a great cause, raising funds for people less fortunate and maybe changing people's perception of rough sleepers," he said.
And on Tuesday night Edwards' dad, Tu Edwards, 51, volunteered to do it too. By mid-afternoon yesterday he had already raised $235.
"I wanted to support my son anyway and just be there for him and with him, but I also had been wanting to do something along these lines for a while," said Mr Edwards.
The Rotorua-born former truancy officer of Whakatohea and Ngai Tai descent coaches the First XV at Pakuranga's Edgewater College and runs the Sporting Edge Trust, teaching teenagers life skills along with sport.
"Our mission is to help those 8- to 18-year-old kids that just made poor decisions because of family circumstances or whatever it may be, so that they can just make good enough decisions to get to the other side.
"Every now and then they fall through the cracks and they end up on the streets, so someone else with a bit more skills or a bit more comfort [than] them or a bit more life experience ends up working with those people," Mr Edwards said.
He was "absolutely rapt", but not surprised, when Joe signed up for the Big Sleepout. "It didn't surprise me ... because that's what's on his heart, to help those who need help," he said.
Joe got a tattoo on his back four years ago saying, "Be thankful and honour your gifts".
"It's something that I stand by, something that my family lives for," the Blues player said.
Lifewise is running the Big Sleepout in Rotorua as well as Auckland this year and has already raised more than $220,000, well above the $177,000 raised last year.
Westpac executives Kate Armstrong and Katie Christoffersen have raised the most so far ($14,758).
Others joining in include the chief executives of the Bank of New Zealand and KiwiRail, new Greens co-leader James Shaw, singer Lizzie Marvelly and Herald managing editor Shayne Currie.
The proceeds will fund Lifewise's "wraparound" support to assist homeless people into housing, including helping with addictions and mental health issues and connecting them with other people in the community.
The MetService forecasts a fine night with an overnight low of 9C.
newsroom has taken on new character, and characters, over the past six months. New residents are camped out - homeless men and women who have set up shop with blankets, rugs and plastic bags with minimal clothing.
During the day, some are asleep, oblivious to the machinery and workers unloading fresh fruit, vegetables and other food to the back garage of a city supermarket. Inner-city office workers stroll by, a glance here and there perhaps.
In the past 12 months, an average 147 people have been sleeping rough within 3km of the Sky Tower. In the seven years prior to that the annual number has fluctuated between 53 and 91.
One of the critical mission statements at the Herald focuses on using our influence to make New Zealand a better place to live.
In recent weeks, the Herald's social issues reporter, Simon Collins, has revealed the extent and depth of the issue of homelessness in Auckland and beyond. Spurred on by Simon's series - and a belief we can do more to help - I'm hitting the street tonight. For one night, mind, and armed with a beanie and sleeping bag.
More than 100 of us are raising money to help fund Lifewise's "wraparound" support. The programme assists homeless people into housing, including helping with addictions and mental health issues. Last year, the event raised $177,000 - total donations raised so far this year have surpassed $220,000.
Some people choose to live on the streets; others have no choice.
With a forecast low of 9C, we're giving up our creature comforts to raise awareness. As Lifewise states, together, we can end homelessness for good.
