Sleepless in Edmonton

After a short but sweet stop in our home city of Calgary, Suzanne and I continued on our expedition and made our way north to the city of Edmonton, Alberta. Once we arrived, the fabulous staff at the Delta Edmonton South warmly welcomed us. We took a few photos with the friendly team surrounding the community cruiser and later checked into our rooms.

Being an ambassador has really started to make me feel as if I am a famous celebrity. We never know what to expect, as there have been so many surprises along the tour. Although we had no event scheduled for the evening, we unexpectedly got invited to a private VIP launch party for NOW radio. This popular local radio station welcomed us into their studios where we were given a tour and had the opportunity to indulge in everything from pizza and chicken wings to sushi and champagne! While being overwhelmed with free stuff we were then invited into a sound proof recording room where Suzanne and I were able to introduce ourselves and got to record a short conversation between the two of us and the NOW radio stations DJ. This was very interesting and exciting experience to say the least.

After a well-deserved sleep, we prepared ourselves both physically and mentally for the big event we had ahead of us. We arrived at the Telus Baseball Field shortly after 4pm. We met lots of volunteers who had been hard at work setting up for the event. We drove the community cruiser right onto the middle of the field so that everyone could see the gleaming Toyota Prius. The event “Homeless for a Night” was about kick off as hundreds of people started arriving at the field. This event was organized with the intentions of raising awareness and donations for the Youth Emergency Shelter Society. Volunteers raised money for this organization and donated their time, as they were about to spend the entire night in the field.

With the help of the Delta Community we stuffed a whopping 93 pillows into the cruiser. We then sold tickets to people who were given the chance to guess how many pillows were in the vehicle. With so many close guesses, we finally determined a winner who guessed that there were 92 pillows inside the Prius. This lucky lady won a two-night stay at any Delta Hotel across Canada.

A large tent was set up in the middle of the field near the community cruiser where a Delta Sanctuary bed was set up just like a hotel room. This tent had everything from carpet, lamps, a television and even a DVD player. We showcased the tent as we sold tickets to people. Around 9pm we drew the winning ticket and called out the number. The winner came to the stage and was escorted by the Canadian Army to the Delta room (open tent). This proud and popular winner got to spend the night in the comfortable Sanctuary bed. All the proceeds from both contests were donated to the Youth Emergency Shelters. Around 11pm we took the 93 pillows out of the cruiser and donated them to the shelters as well.

A stage was set up where people were enjoying themselves listening to live local bands, comedians and watching dance shows. There was a beer tent and concession stands for people to enjoy. The field was full of excitement as people (including myself) played football, baseball and passed around Frisbees. As the sunset and the sky got dark, the Army set up controlled bonfires, which become very popular spots. As people enjoyed the warmth of the fire, marshmallows were being roasted and people were playing their guitars.

Being in Alberta, the sun set very late and rose very early, which didn’t help many of these excited participants settle down and fall asleep. The majority of the participants did not sleep and made it through night with ease. Suzanne and I were both very exhausted around 6am where we returned to the hotel to get some rest. This was a very successful event and I was astonished at how many people came out to raise money for such a great a cause. The organizers seemed very grateful for everyone’s efforts and donations. I found this event to be very touching and I will remember this night for the rest of my life.

Best Regards,

Geoffrey Alan- Prairies Regional Ambassador