The fifth Lead With Kindness gala, held last Friday at The Glasshouse in Melbourne, raised almost $214,000 ($213,765) in support of the St Vincent de Paul Society. It was the most successful event in the initiative’s five-year history.
The funds raised will directly provide 23,400 hot meals and almost 1,000 safe places to sleep for Australians doing it tough.
Chris Christofi is the founder of Reventon and is currently the highest fundraiser in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout’s national history. He has already raised over $300,000 for this year’s campaign with a target of raising $350,000. Chris hopes to become the person who raises the most money in a single Sleepout campaign.
“This is not about putting on a fancy event. It is about making sure people doing it tough have what most of us take for granted – a hot meal, a safe place to sleep, and the dignity of being seen and supported,” Christofi said.
“It’s about making a real difference. That’s what these numbers mean. That’s the impact.”
A record breaking night of generosity:
• 324 tickets sold — the largest attendance in Lead With Kindness history
• First ever black tie banquet format
• Guests flew in from across Australia, including Sydney and Perth
• Live performances including two finalists from The Voice
• Powerful keynote from Vinnies leaders reflecting on 50 years of soup vans
• 40 auction items, including:
- Sydney Harbour luxury yacht cruise: $7,000
- Lucy Liu private dinner for 16: $6,000
- Bali resort holiday for six: $4,000
The evening formed a major part of Christofi’s eighth consecutive Vinnies CEO Sleepout campaign, continuing his long-standing commitment to raising funds and awareness for homelessness.
With this year’s total, Christofi has now personally raised more than $1 million, delivering vital resources to frontline support services.
The mission is far from over:
Christofi said now was no time to slow down.
“We are not here to rest on our laurels. We have helped thousands of people, but thousands more still need us. The homelessness crisis is not going away, and neither are we,” he said.
Lead With Kindness 2025 was proudly supported by major sponsor B1 Homes, with additional support from Reventon and Chris Christofi. Special thanks to all donors, bidders, attendees, and performers who made the night unforgettable. Andy Reid was the auctioneer on the evening, and Matt Charles was the MC.
To support Chris in this year’s campaign click here.
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