Zachary Myles has never been homeless.
His middle-class upbringing has shielded him from the streets and kept a pillow under his head.
But Myles and his Phi Beta Sigma fraternity brothers ditched the comforts of a warm bed Friday night during their sixth annual sleep-out for the homeless on Hayden Lawn.
"Homelessness is a huge problem," said Myles, a biology junior and president of the fraternity's Lambda Xi chapter. "If you're not helping the problem, it's kind of selfish."
Myles and his brothers, along with their sister organization, Zeta Phi Beta, and other members of the community, slept in tents on Hayden Lawn from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Saturday.
During this time, they collected food and clothing that will be donated to the Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness in Phoenix.
Participants also spent the night playing football, listening to music and eating pizza — things Myles admits aren't luxuries that homeless people have.
"Unfortunately, food is what brings people out here," said Myles, who has participated in the event for three years in a row. "And if that's what it takes to get more people out here to donate more items, that's what we're going to do."
Hassan Shariff, a chemical engineering junior and vice president of the chapter, added that the goal is not to mimic or mock a night of homelessness.
"Even though we have food and blankets, our first goal is to help the homeless and educate people," Shariff said.
Civil engineering junior and Lambda Xi member Tommy Moltz said he opted to sleep outside of the tent in order to stay true to the experience.
"[The homeless] don't have tents," Moltz said. "We've taken so much from the community, this is the least I can do. It's an uplifting process."
The sleep-out started in 1996 with only a few members and no tents — a fledgling idea that sprouted from the fraternity and its motto, "Culture for service and service for humanity." The small group collected a couple piles of clothing, which they donated to a local battered women's shelter.
Myles said 40 people attended the sleep-out this year, the biggest turnout yet, and they amassed a tent full of clothing to donate to the coalition.
Shariff said despite the growing number of participants, the sleep-out is still small-scale compared to most charity events.
"It's a very tight-knit group," he said. "We have such close ties to the minority groups in the community, so not a lot of other people show up."
Phi Beta Sigma is historically a black fraternity, founded in 1914 at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Myles added that the event is open to anyone who wants to donate items or simply hang out and have a good time.
"Awareness can be fun as long as you get the message across," he said. "But after last night, I really do appreciate my bed."
Reach the reporter at ashlea.deahl@asu.edu.
