Participants set up camp at a previous Box City Camp Out To Stamp Out Family Homelessness.Family Promise of Greater Chattanooga is hosting its fifth annual Box City Camp Out To Stamp Out Family Homelessness this weekend at First Tennessee Pavilion, 1829 Reggie White Blvd. The campout will start at 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, and conclude at 7 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 17.
Register at www.familypromisechattanooga.com), or start a Camp Out team through the fundraising site Crowdrise (www.crowdrise.com/CampOut2013).
Participants can learn to understand some aspects of homeless living conditions by building their own cardboard box sleeping spaces in Box City (or just by bringing their own camping equipment), spending the night outdoors in an urban campground setting and eating in the bread line.
The Box City Contest will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Building teams can build any design they want but have only two hours for construction. Teams may use materials found on-site or bring their own prefabricated and decorated materials. Approved materials are any form of paper goods (cardboard boxes or other cardboard materials, newspaper, papier mache and other forms of paper, duct tape and glue). Designs will be given extra points for creativity and durability. Entry costs for the contest are $10 per team member. Contest-only entrants may stay late for dinner and entertainment.
Prizes will be awarded for the best box cities built by a group or individual and for the most pledges raised by a group.
The Camp Out also features a scavenger hunt, games, music, crafts and other entertainment. Volunteers will be on hand to serve up sandwiches, coffee, hot chocolate, sodas, popcorn and fruit. Sunday morning, campers will be served a light breakfast.
Security will be present during the entire event.
Entry fees for the Camp Out are $10 per person for youth, church, Scout or other groups; $25 for individual campers; $50 for families or groups of up to four people ($10 each additional camper).
All proceeds benefit Family Promise programs that help families in need become stable, employed and housed.
For more information, call 423-756-3891.