FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) -- Students at Fayetteville High School chose to forgo the comfort of their beds, in order to sleep outside.
The students slept outside in order to bring awareness to the issue of homelessness in Northwest Arkansas.
“We have been preparing for a while. For the past months we have been collecting boxes and building forts,” said Chase Arnold, a senior at Fayetteville High.
Students slept outside, and collected money and food, to donate to the Families In Transition.
“We will be spending the night here, and we will not be going home when we wake up. We will be going straight to class,” said E.J. Ogbeide, a senior at Fayetteville High.
The school district says homelessness is also an issue within their school district.
“There are students in our district that face these issues. We have dealt with over 300 of them in the last school year,” said Alan Wilbourn, spokesman for Fayetteville Schools. “That is getting in the way of learning. And, understanding, you are not really concerned about learning when you are hungry, and you are cold.”
Students hoped to raise at least $20,000 for those in need.
“It goes towards those families, and helping them pay their mortgage, which keeps them in their homes and off the streets,” Ogbeide said.
Students were given a small fire to gather around, as well as access to the school, in case it got too cold.
However, the students told 5NEWS they planned on staying outside all night.
“We have been preparing for a while now, so hopefully we will try and stay warm,” Arnold said.
“These are our homes for the night, so we will see how they go,” Ogbeide said.