THE heavens did open above Jubilee Oval about 8pm on Saturday night but by that stage the sleepers were committed to sleeping rough, so it was just a matter of running for cover.
With a bad-weather contingency plan in place the Kogarah Community Services sleepout for homeless youth continued as planned in the safety of the Dragons clubrooms.
But when the entertainment was over and the floodlights were about to be turned off, most of the 120 sleepers chose to bunk down outside on concrete to get a proper feel of what it was like for young people without a home.
Organiser Cathy Nisbet said the sleepout was a fantastic community event and much more successful than the first one in 2013.
"We had great support from the community and it was a very lovely atmosphere," Ms Nisbet said.
"At the sausage sizzle in the morning everyone said they had a great night and that the experience helped them to understand how homeless people feel."
She said that youth homelessness was a hidden problem in St George and Sutherland Shire and events such as sleepouts raised awareness as well as funds.
The event was supported by about 100 community volunteers who helped out during the night but went home at lights out.
Sleepers included people from various churches, businesses, councils and community groups.
Kogarah resident Bernie Sharah took this video.
