By Emily LePain
Murphy News Service 

More than 65 local business executives and community leaders will be sleeping outside Sunday night to raise money and awareness for youth homelessness near YouthLink, a nonprofit on the edge of downtown.

The goal of the event is to raise $200,000 for services to allow these youth to find their independence.

“On any given night, homeless youth could fill over half the hotel rooms in downtown Minneapolis, yet these young people are often invisible to society,” Dr. Heather Huseby, YouthLink Executive Director, said in a statement. “This problem effects all of us whether we realize it or not.”

The event starts at 5 p.m. with a tour of the city that highlights a day in the life of a homeless youth. Participants will tour YouthLink and the Youth Opportunity Center.  Participants will also pack meals for local homeless youth, meet young people experiencing homelessness and hear from several speakers, such as Sen. Scott Dibble, YouthLink Executive Director Dr. Heather Huseby and keynote speaker and YouthLink Youth Ambassador, Maria. The sleep out continues until 6 a.m. Monday morning.

Participants include Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau, County Attorney Mike Freeman, Sen. Scott Dibble, Hennepin County Commissioner Marion Greene, Former Vikings player Chuck Foreman, and corporate executives from companies such as 3M, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Bank of America, Land O’ Lakes, Xcel Energy and the Opus Group.

YouthLink, 41 N. 12th St., has served youth for 40 years. Last year, more than 2,200 young people from the Twin Cities accessed YouthLink, according to the organization.

For more information, visit www.youthlinkmn.org/executive-sleep-out

Emily LePain is a journalism student at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities.