Focus Ireland aims to raise €45,000 for the homeless by urging secondary school students to hold sponsored sleepovers.
The charity raised €30,000 with the initiative last year when 2,000 pupils participated in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Waterford.
Students are asked to organise the sleepovers with their teachers within their schools for the national event on Friday, October 20th.
Focus Ireland organiser Melissa Harrison said: "The students will have great fun and it's a really positive way for young people to get involved and help the homeless." Ms Harrison said organising sleepovers would be an ideal project for transition year students.
"It would give them a specific project they can take ownership of and they would gain valuable experience in managing it." she added. Irish band Blizzards today teamed up with Spin 1038 to launch the appeal to secondary school students to join the Schoolmates Sleepover.
Blizzards lead singer Niall Breslin said: "I hope plenty of students forfeit their comfy beds for the night and sign up to help raise some cash for them." Ms Harrison added: "Events such as this are vital to Focus Ireland as they help move us towards our fundraising target for the year which allows us continue to develop our services and housing to help combat and prevent homelessness."
Focus Ireland's education programme has helped develop modules about homelessness for the Leaving Certificate Applied and Civic Social and Political Education programmes.
Teams of any number can enter and the team that raises the most money will win two computers for their school. Students and teachers can find out more details about the Focus Ireland Sleepover on 1850 204 205 or www.focusireland.ie