Reggie's Sleep Out

Carrie McGrean 

Staff Reporter 

Many people gather at Drake Stadium to help raise
money for homeless men,women, and children.
The event it dedicated to Reggie Kelsey.
Photo credit Carrie McGrean. 

Reggie’s Sleep out is Saturday, October 17, at Drake Stadium. This event takes place on a usually chilly evening and it is intended to raise money for homeless youth to transition into a better life.

Last year there were many youth with no place to call home; the number reaching around 1,500 in Polk County alone. Many can’t go to school or even get anything to eat. They sleep out on the cold streets. Every October for 10 years people of the community gather in Drake Stadium and build a place to sleep out of cardboard boxes in memory of a young man by the name of Reggie Kelsey.

            Kelsey aged out of the foster care system in 2001. Within three and a half months he passed away from exposure.

He had depression and sometimes hallucinated. Before aging out he had been worried about surviving on his own. He stayed at several shelters and sometimes slept on the street after being kicked out of his last foster care placement.

All this time he was working with Iowa Homeless Youth Shelters’ street outreach staff. Now there is this event and a coffee shop in his honor called Reggie’s Place coffee shop, located at 701 Grand Avenue in Des Moines.

            It is free to sleep out at the event, but you must have a team registered or be registered individually. You can register ahead of time at http://www.reggiessleepout.org/ or there is registration from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. If registered people may begin to set up upon arrival at 3:00 PM. There are activities, music, and games going from 3:00 PM until 1:00 AM.

Bring boxes, a pup tent with no stakes, or a sleeping bag. Food and drinks will be served so no outside things allowed.

            If able, they are asking people to raise money for the cause. They have a wish for each person attending to ask 10 people for $10. Kindness will not go unrewarded; there are prizes for raising money. There have been Southeast Polk students participating in years past and there will be this year. Key Club has a team and if you would like to join them, contact Anna Sutton.