Biggest community service project in UM history set for Saturday

The Big Event has owned up to its name by exceeding the Associated Student Body’s expectations by more than 200, making the event the biggest volunteer effort in University of Mississippi history.

ASB president Virginia Burke said the event has exceeded the groups’ expectation of 1,000 volunteers, and she hopes the project exceeds expectations as well.

“We are excited for these volunteers to go out into the community and show Oxford and Lafayette County how thankful we are for the many ways in which they support our education,” Burke said. “I hope that this event will be able to help strengthen the relationship between students and community members along with instilling the value of service into our students.”

Exactly 1,237 student volunteers have signed up for The BIG Event community service project.

“With this number we have not only met but exceeded our goal of one thousand student volunteers in the first year of The Big Event,” Burke says.

Projects are still being entered only a few days before the event on Saturday, March 26.

“Community members are so excited about The Big Event that we have had more projects registered this week and can take 100 more volunteers,” Burke said.

Sarah Rogers, senior student and ASB director of community service, heard about The Big Event from students who attended a conference in Texas and wanted to immediately take action.

“Though it was too late to plan it last year, I was determined to make sure the Big Event became a reality this year,” Rogers said. “This event will give students the opportunity to show appreciation to the community through positive interaction with community members.”

All volunteers will meet at the Union and Grove area at 7:30 a.m. for breakfast and instruction. The service projects will include gardening, cleaning, yard work and helping the elderly, which Burke said will give students the opportunity to become closer with the community members.

The Big Event is a student run community service project started in 1982 by Joe Nussbaum at Texas A&M. UM students travelled to a conference in Texas last year where they learned of this event and decided to join in the 70-plus universities that have already taken part in the effort.

This will be UM’s first year to take part in the event, but Burke said there are plans of holding the Big Event for years to come.

More information on the event can be found at the website www.olemiss.edu/bigevent, Twitter @olemissBIGevent, and on Facebook under UM Big Event.