The 702 Sun International CEO SleepOut™ has sought out like-minded companies that share its vision and see social and environmental problems for what they really are – opportunities to use their talent to build a better South Africa.

All the event’s associates are business leaders whose influence goes beyond profits to purpose, beyond pleasing shareholders to creating shared value. They have risen to the challenge to better the world. The goal – to raise money for beneficiary partner Girls and Boys Town and to create an awareness of our country’s homeless.

Participants will take to the pavements of Gwen Lane on Thursday, 18 June armed with a sleeping bag, hot meal and other amenities. They will, no doubt, all be sporting the latest in extreme weather gear. These are things that are not accessible to the homeless.

But law firm Adams & Adams – who as well as being a sponsor, and is providing pro-bono intellectual property and commercial services to the SleepOut™, will be taking their support of the initiative to a whole new level. 

The aim of this is to push the Adams & Adams’ team even closer to the challenges a homeless person must face on a daily basis.

Adams & Adams chairman, Gérard du Plessis and eight partners will be fielding dares and donations from their clients and employees as part of the firm’s “schedule of hardship”. 

What this means is that the team may have to endure losing their meal for the night, give up their sleeping bag and shelter for a couple of hours, or hand over their gloves and “beanies” for half an hour.  The more dares and donations the colder the team gets. It also means raising even more for Girls and Boys Town.

It is not unusual for the firm to “push the envelope”. Adams & Adams is the largest intellectual property law firm in the Southern Hemisphere, supported by a sizeable commercial, property and litigation practice. The firm was recently awarded the MIP Award for the Best Law Firm in Africa.