A group of teenagers spent a chilly night on Citadel Hill, in downtown Halifax, in tents pitched to resemble a refugee camp. In the process, the 14 high school students raised a significant amount of money for Red Cross Disaster Relief.

"I thought it was really important that youth completely fundraise and organize an event," said grade 12 student Samantha Miller, who planned the overnight event.

For months, the students have held smaller fundraisers such as bottle drives and 50-50 draws. They also approached corporate sponsors leading up to Thursday night's sleepover. They've now raised more than $60,000 dollars.

Miller said the goal was to simulate a village in a disaster during a time of crisis. While a real refugee camp could hold hundreds of tents, the small cluster gave the teens a feel for what might happen in a crisis.

"They don't have enough food, they don't have enough shelter," said Miller of her research on camps. "It's not a good situation. There are people who are left without their families."

She said spending a frosty night outdoors was an eye–opening experience for the hard–working teens.

"I think it's important for us, who live in a place where we have the means to have a good night's sleep in a safe shelter and have food, to understand that not everyone has it."

All of the money will support the Nova Scotia disaster response team. It will be used to buy new equipment.

Miller will also receive recognition for her efforts. She'll be awared the Canadian Red Cross Young Humanitarian Award on Oct. 24.