Execs sleep out to help homeless kids

TORONTO - Scott Williams, President of Global Knowledge Canada, will be among Toronto's business and community leaders as they sleep outside on the night of November 21, 2013, to help homeless kids at Covenant House Toronto, the country's largest homeless youth agency.

Led by Honorary Co-Chairs Arlene Dickinson of CBC's Dragons' Den and Tim Leiweke, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment President and CEO, the second annual Covenant House Sleep Out: Executive Edition will see participants spend the night outside with only sleeping bags and a piece of cardboard to raise awareness and funds for the downtown agency.

This year's goal is to raise $1 million in one night. Last year's inaugural event drew over 50 participants and raised more than $538,000.

Starbucks' President Annie Young-Scrivner, Porter Airlines' President Robert Deluce, Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair, and Duncan Hannay, Senior Marketing VP at Scotiabank, will be among the expected 80 participants getting a small glimpse of the hardships kids can face on the street.

When asked why he is participating, Scott Williams responded, "The fact that 10,000 young people are living and sleeping on the streets of Toronto in any given year is heartbreaking. It's hard to imagine what they must suffer. I was fortunate growing up in a good home with a good family, and I'm honoured to take this opportunity to help Covenant House help Toronto's homeless youth."

Bruce Rivers, Executive Director of Covenant House Toronto, said there are at least 10,000 homeless youth in Toronto during any given year.

"When kids don't have to worry about where they're going to sleep or where their next meal is coming from, they can focus on their futures", said Rivers. "This event not only helps raise much-needed funds to help our kids, but it also focuses public attention on the plight of homeless youth."

Covenant House Toronto provides 24/7 crisis shelter and the widest ranging services under one roof to about 3,000 youth annually. To do all this, the agency relies on donors for 80 percent of its $20 million budget.

About Global Knowledge

Global Knowledge is the worldwide leader in IT, business, and leadership skills advancement and a nine-time CSTD award winner-an industry record. Our more than 1,500 courses span foundational and specialized training and certifications, and our core training is focused on Cisco, Microsoft, Avaya, VMware, Red Hat, IBM, business process improvement, and leadership development. We deliver via training centers, private facilities, and the Internet, enabling our customers to choose when, where, and how they want to receive training programs and learning services.

Founded in 1995, Global Knowledge employs more than 1,300 people worldwide and is headquartered in Cary, NC. Canadian headquarters are in Toronto, and EMEA headquarters are in London. The company is owned by New York-based investment firm MidOcean Partners.