"The homelessness situation (in New Zealand) is a little different to what is happening overseas.

"It's people living in overcrowded houses, cars and garages - not so much people out on the streets (though) there's plenty of that, too", says event organiser Phil Sprey (pictured left) of DestinationHutt.

Sprey is hopeful for 20,000 to turn out joining the local fight against homelessness and raise money for what he describes as an increasing yet largely unseen section of New Zealand society.

Sprey says that by choosing to sleep under the stars, people will help those who have no other choice.

He says he hopes to give the event an international flavour.

An experienced event organiser, Sprey says he and the DestinationHutt charity team are talking with several national and international musical acts.

For juniors, the event begins at 6 pm with a family Christmas concert, "Santa at Sunset" and includes a variety show with multiple stages.

Then as the sun goes down the "sleep out" part of the event will take over.

Joining the official sleep out period is for those over 18 and the minimum donation is $30.

The New Zealand beneficiary of the event is Orange Sky.

Orange Sky is a charity providing mobile laundry and shower services to people living on the streets.

The goal of Big Sleep Out New Zealand is to put more equipment, vehicles and people onto the streets.

The Petone event is part of a global initiative in cities and towns including London, New York, Edinburgh, Dublin, Belfast, Chicago, Cardiff, Los Angeles, New Delhi, Madrid, Brisbane, Amsterdam, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Philadelphia and Singapore.

Will Smith, Dame Helen Mirren and Cold Play's Chris Martin have joined the international cause.

Locally, story teller, Sir Richard Taylor, Orchestra Wellington, US Ambassador Scott Brown and One Bar Heater are confirmed to be supporting the cause.

Sources

• DomPost
• DestinationHutt
• World's Big Sleep Out NZ
• Image: World's Big Sleep Out

He endured the dreadful conditions to give spiritual aid to the New Zealanders.

Chaplain captain McMenamin landed at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915 to serve at the frontline.

Later he went to the Western Front.

On July 9, 1917, after the Battle of Messines in Belgium, McMenamin was conducting a funeral service for fallen soldiers when the enemy fired a shell into the congregation.

Six soldiers were injured, and McMenamin was killed.

He was buried originally in Belgium, but was reinterred at the Nieppe Communal Cemetery in France.

His parish in Petone erected a new church dedicated to his memory in 1934.

Although this church was demolished in the 1990s because it was an earthquake risk, the original stained glass windows were retained and rededicated to his memory.

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