Hundreds of people gathered near Lake Eola Monday night for the 24th annual Sleep Out Event to raise awareness of youth homelessness in Central Florida.
Organizers estimated upwards of 400 people showed up for the event hosted by the Covenant House Florida.
Those hundreds of people could be seen carrying candles around Lake Eola to honor people who have been served by the Covenant House, and those who still need to be.
"We gather together with friends and youth groups to shine a light on the fact that in this community there are hundreds and hundreds of homless youth that come to our facility and many more that we don't serve every year that need help," said Executive Director of the Covenant House Jim Gress.
About 40 business executives slept outside Monday night at the Covenant House in respect for kids on the street.
Those sleeping outside have been collecting money over the past six weeks to support the homeless and runaway youth. Organizers say so far they have collected $52,000.
To learn more about the Covenant House Florida, you can visit their website here.