Media ReleaseIssued by Flow Communications on behalf of Flight Centre

Draft, not for issue

19 July 2016

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Most South Africans would do anything to avoid sleeping outside at night, given that

the country has been experiencing one of its colder winters in recent memory. But

not Flight Centre Travel Group’s Managing Director, Andrew Stark.

Stark has signed up for the CEO SleepOut after being challenged, and will be among

over 100 CEOs to sleep on the Nelson Mandela Bridge next Thursday (28 July 2016)

night to raise funds and empathy for the homeless.

“I’m excited to be taken out of my comfort zone and to walk a mile in someone else's

shoes who is far less fortunate,” says Stark. “It is for a phenomenal cause and I

encourage more small, medium and large enterprise CEO's to be part of this event.

While it may be a very cold evening, it is an opportunity to share stories and network

with fellow leaders. Creating ubuntu is far going to supersede one night out of 365

days in the year where I get to sleep in a cosy bed.”

Stark says the goals of the CEO SleepOut and the Flight Centre Foundation were

aligned in that the mission of the Flight Centre Foundation is also to break the cycle

of poverty through education.

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“Sleeping on the streets for one night will allow me to contribute to raising awareness

of the fact that nearly one in every four South Africans live in extreme poverty, and

reiterates how important employment is. Flight Centre Travel Group employs 450

people on average per year,” he says.

Adds Stark: “I am looking forward to the challenge and energised by the support I

have received from Flight Centre staff who are very engaged in the initiative.”

Flight Centre Travel Group will also be hosting a Sympathy SleepOut at its head

office in Blackheath, Johannesburg, the day after the CEO SleepOut, with over 100

staff expected to brave the cold night with only their sleeping bags, cardboard boxes

and soup for warmth.

Stark will be joined on the Nelson Mandela Bridge by his GM for FCM Travel

Solutions, Euan McNeil, third-year Wits engineering student Stuart Cleary (20) and

De La Salle Holy Cross College matriculant Justin Raal (18). All CEOs participating

in the CEO SleepOut this year were asked to nominate three people to join them in

sleeping rough: an employee, a promising tertiary student and a promising learner.

Stark said Flight Centre Travel Group had opted to invite privileged learners to join

him on the bridge as they could learn the most from sleeping rough.

ENDS

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For more information, contact Lee-Ann Collingridge at lee-ann@flowsa.com or 072

125 2826

Note:

1. Flight Centre is South Africa’s largest travel company with over 170 businesses

including Student Flights, Cruiseabout and Corporate Traveller.

2. The Sun International CEO SleepOut™ 2016 invites CEOs to sleep rough for one

night to raise awareness of homeleessness. It was held for the first time last year.

The CEO SleepOut™ 2016  will take place on the 28th of July on the Nelson

Mandela Bridge. This year’s event aims to raise R40-million. 

3. Each CEO participating had to nominate a top employee, a University Student and

a Matric Learner to sleep out on the night. 

4. The sleep out raised over R26 million for Girls & Boys Town in 2015. This year's

focus will be education.

 5. In order to participate, the business leaders had to pledge R160 000.