UNL students to lead communitywide service 'Big Event' April 8

"The Big Event," the largest student-run service project in the nation, is on its way to Lincoln for the first time April 8.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Office of Student Involvement and the Association of Students at the University of Nebraska are recruiting UNL students, faculty and staff to join forces with student leaders and Lincoln agencies to make the service day a success.

"The success of The Big Event is dependent on volunteers," said Emily Snodgrass, a UNL senior and co-chair of The Big Event at UNL. "We want The Big Event to be the largest day of service at UNL and in the wider Lincoln community, but we cannot do it without students, faculty, and staff volunteers."

Coordinated and sponsored by UNL Student Involvement and ASUN, groups of volunteers will be assigned to job sites solicited from community agencies and neighborhood associations. The Big Event aims to help Lincoln by placing UNL participants throughout the community and at job sites that have specified needs.

Participants will plant community gardens, paint, pick up litter, serve meals, do construction, organize pantry and library shelves and a multitude of other requested service projects from agencies throughout Lincoln -- with each varying in the duration and time of the service. All supplies will be provided and training will be done on-site.

Started at Texas A&M University in 1982, "The Big Event" community service project has grown into a nationwide event, with more than 50 major universities across the nation participating. Some universities have upwards of 5,000 volunteers during their Big Event day.

The Big Event participant registration forms are available on-line and are due to the ASUN Student Government office by March 10 for students and March 15 for faculty and staff. For more information, visit http://bigevent.unl.edu or e-mail thebigevent@unl.edu. Group leaders and individual registrants must attend one of six information sessions the week of March 27 where more questions will be addressed and job sites will be assigned.

There is still a need for volunteer placements as well, Snodgrass said. Agencies interested in connecting with the UNL volunteers should call Student Involvement at (402) 472-2454 or visit the Web site and complete a site request form.

After service is completed on April 8, there will be a large celebration on the Nebraska Union Memorial Plaza for volunteers and Lincoln community members.

UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman said The Big Event is "an excellent idea which we hope is a great success."

CONTACT: Emily Snodgrass, Big Event co-chair, (402) 525-7670