OXFORD, Miss. – The Big Event, a campuswide day of service for the Oxford-Lafayette County community, has a record number of participants this year at the University of Mississippi.
“We have 3,006 students registered,” said Kristin Volker, director of marketing and public relations for the Big Event. “Last year, the first UM Big Event, we had 1,261 participants, so we are thrilled to have such a large increase in numbers.”
The Big Event is set for March 31 and kicks off at 7 a.m. at Tad Smith Coliseum. During the day, students will complete a variety of volunteer work, including painting homes, cleaning out garages, assisting with needs in retirement communities, prepping a community garden and helping businesses organize their storerooms.
“The Big Event is a day focused on service when the students at the University of Mississippi can say ‘thank you’ to members of the Oxford/Lafayette community for sharing their space with us,” said Melinda Pullen Carlson, associate dean of students. “Other than saying ‘thank you,’ the goal of the Big Event is to build connections between the community and our students. Members of our community and our students will be able to meet people whom they would not have the opportunity to meet otherwise.”
Volker, a sophomore accountancy major from Springfield, Ill., enjoyed participating in the inaugural Big Event.
“Last year’s Big Event was an eye-opening experience,” she said. “Having the opportunity to participate was humbling. I completed a few simple household chores for an Oxford resident, and her appreciation made getting up early worth it.”
Carlson has high expectations for this year’s event.
“I believe the event will give the students a sense of humble accomplishment,” Carlson said. “We hope they will reflect on the act of giving back and how that helps them grow as a person. The Big Event will help students make lasting connections with members of our community. As a university, service is one of our core values. Our students understand that and want to be a part of giving back to a place that has given them so much.”
Volker hopes that the Big Event will continue to be a yearly tradition.
“As this is only the second annual Big Event, we are building the foundation of support needed for a long-lasting tradition,” Volker said. “The Big Event staff hoped to double the number of volunteers from last year, and we far exceeded that goal. With such great support from students, we are positive that we will be able show the community our appreciation.”
For more information on the Big Event, go to http://dos.orgsync.com/org/bigevent.