Eleven years ago was the first time people gathered on a football field at Drake University to raise funds and awareness for youth homelessness in central Iowa at an event called Reggie’s Sleepout.

Now, Reggie’s Sleepout has seen more than 10,000 participants and has raised more than $1.7 million.

Jack Trice Stadium hosted Reggie’s Sleepout for the first time Saturday night, thanks to Nahla Atroon and her friends.

Atroon and her friends are seniors at Ames High School, but they were juniors when Andrew Allen, CEO and president of Youth and Shelter Services (YSS), spoke to them about the importance of homelessness awareness. Atroon is now the co-chair of the board.

“[Allen] seemed super passionate about it and I didn’t really think about homelessness before this,” Atroon said. “I thought if you were homeless you lived under a bridge.”

During the organization of Ames’ sleepout, Atroon learned that being homeless can mean living at a relative’s house or couch surfing from house to house. Atroon went to Reggie’s Sleepout at Drake to see what it was all about and said it really opened her eyes.

“I suffered through [the cold] for 12 hours, but this is someone’s everyday life,” Atroon said. “That just opened something in me and made me want to do this.”

Atroon recognizes that while it’s fun for her to come out with her friends, it’s not fun for someone who has to live it every day.

“I really want people to soften their hearts and help other people,” Atroon said. “I want people to be more aware that [homelessness] is happening.”

Atroon described her life before working on the project as living in a little bubble. The bubble has been popped, and she hopes the sleepout will open other people’s eyes as well.

Allen, too, hopes sleeping in the cold for just one night will change perspectives on homelessness. Allen and a team created Reggie’s Sleepout to raise awareness about homelessness and are happy to see it expanding.

“What we’re really talking about [at the sleepout] are the issues around youth homelessness and how we can address and ensure that kids have stable housing,” Allen said.

Allen said it’s always been a dream to bring Reggie’s Sleepout to Jack Trice Stadium. Allen’s experience with homelessness stems from troubles he experienced when he was 17 years old. YSS was able to provide him with the tools he needed to turn his circumstance around.

YSS now focuses on prevention, treatment and transitional housing services. It is one of the few organizations that is able to work with kids until their mid-20s. Allen has participated in Reggie’s Sleepout every year, calling it a signature event. Allen said the event is different than a walk or a run in the sense that participants are experiencing a little bit of what it might be like to be homeless.

He has participated in the event every year since its beginning, bringing his wife and three children along.

“I think that when it’s cold and it’s rainy, I think that sometimes it can be discouraging,” Allen said. “Just the fact that we’re here for one night helps us understand and remember that there are homeless youth across the community.”