MELBOURNE footballers Chris Dawes and Jack Watts helped launch the 2016 Sleep at the ’G event at the MCG on Thursday.

A major event of Melbourne City Mission, ‘Sleep at the ’G’ will see more than 1,000 participants and volunteers spend the night of Thursday 26 May sleeping on cardboard inside the MCG.

As the club’s Melbourne City Mission ambassadors, Dawes and Watts are actively involved in raising awareness of the night.

The event, which is entering its fourth year, aims to raise $600,000 to help vulnerable young people break out of the cycle of disadvantage and homelessness.

Melbourne City Mission works with vulnerable individuals, families and communities throughout Melbourne and regional Victoria.

The Melbourne Football Club has a long-running charity partnership with Melbourne City Mission and has supported ‘Sleep at the ’G’ since the inaugural event in 2013, with club staff also consistently participating in the event.

Registrations for ‘Sleep at the ’G’ are now open at http://sleepattheg.com.au