Vinnies CEO Sleepout nets food bigwigs

Posted by Nicole Eckersley on 18th June 2010

Vinnies CEO sleepoutThe annual St Vincent De Paul Society’s CEO Sleepout saw the heads of a number of Australia’s biggest food companies sleeping on cardboard with a mug of soup and a bread roll for dinner last night.

The food industry turnout included McDonald’s boss Catriona Noble, Managing Director Andrew Benefield of Mrs. Fields, James Ajaka of Nudie Foods, manager of Renix Tomek Lichtanski, David Carruthers of SlowDown! Restaurants, Dean Merlo of Merlo Coffee, all of whom joined politicians, managing directors, bishops and media moguls to sleep on a sheet of cardboard.

The event, which is supported by Bakers Delight and Campbell’s, has raised over $2 million and counting.

Noble, who has so far raised $41,480, said that participating in the event was the least she could do.

“As a mother it’s an upsetting thought to know that every night someone else’s child, brother or sister or even whole family is sleeping on the street with no home to go to,” she said.

“Anything I can do to help change that is really a no-brainer.”