Reporting from On the Roof: The final hour draws closed

Les and the ConocoPhillips team ready to leave
after volunteering to serve breakfast

 "No one would have crossed the ocean if he could have gotten off the ship in the storm." Charles Kettering

Amazing though it may sound, I slept in this morning. Imagine! Sleeping in inside a tent on the roof of the old DI at -15C.  

As we draw into our last hour on the roof, I'm happy. And I'm sad.

It has been an amazing experience.

So many people to thank. So many people came up to the roof and supported us. So many made this adventure possible.

It began with an idea by one person (Dave Tod -- if he ever says to you, "Hey, I've got an idea. What do you think about..." RUN!  Just kidding. What you need to do is LISTEN.  And then, ACT. 

The moon looks watches over us

Take action.

Do something. Take a step, or two or three. Gather allies, supporters. Get people talking about your idea. Get people to share their energy and their support and their time so that they too can be part of the magic of your idea unfolding.

That's what Dave did. He had an idea. I listened. Other's listened. And then we said -- Yes. Why not. Never tried it before. Sounds like it could work.

Because really... in the end. Whether we raised $10 or $20,000+ (which is what we did -- thank you everyone!) in doing it, we created a buzz, an energy, a sense of 'we're doing something worthwhile here. Let's keep going forward.'

And forward we did go. From all the logistics Dave took care of with getting people on board to contribute to signage and fencing and sleeping out accoutrement like tents and sleeping bags, Dave took care of the details.  

Me, all I had to do was send out a few news releases and turn up on the roof willing to take part, to take action.

Dave's last sleep in the ten

And, like so many who came up here to be part of the spirit, who cheered us on from the smoke deck, from the floors of the shelter, from the roadway passing by, from tweets to Facebook Likes and Shares, to comments on the blog -- you have all taken action and been part of the spirit of making things happen. Of creating change and building awareness, not just of the event. No, it's not just about the event -- it's about the vision and purpose of the event -- to draw attention to what we do here at the shelter. What happens in people's lives who are homeless and what we can do as individuals and a community to pitch in, or, as in the case of these past three days, pitch a tent or two to make a difference.

And we have. Made a difference.

As my friend Max wrote in an email the other day, "At the end of the day, all we can ask ourselves is, "Did I make a difference?" And you have."

Thank you everyone. Being up here has made a difference within me, and in the world around me. Having you with me as cheerleaders has made a difference. If I'd thought about what it would take to stay up on the roof for three days, I probably never would have stepped out onto the roof. But having your support, knowing what the 'bigger picture' was, being here actually made sense. 

Smoke rises off the smoke deck

And in the end, as the final hour draws to a close, I know. Together we have made a difference. Together we can bring people in from the cold to a place where they know, no matter their condition, there is a welcoming hand, a warm smile and a comforting voice to guide them.

You are all amazing.

Thank you!

Cindy and a volunteer start cooking dinner for Friday night
(40 pork roasts ready for the oven)

One last traffic photo for the CBC EyeOpener

Cindy hams it up on the fence