A student picks up trash along Mississippi Highway 7 as part of the Ole Miss Big Event on Saturday. Photo: Thomas Graning, The Daily Mississippian.
A total of 1,700 students participated in 213 projects as part of the Big Event on Saturday. The goal of the projects was to give back to the Oxford-Lafayette community.
This is the university’s fourth year to have a day dedicated to community service. The Big Event committee organized the various service projects that ranged from helping Oxford residents with their yards and working in the community garden to working with the Lafayette County Fire Department.
Senior public policy leadership major and Big Event co-director Madison Coburn has participated in the Big Event since her sophomore year. She said the community has given good feedback to all the volunteers who participated.
“The purpose of the event is to say thank you to the community and build a relationship with students and the community,” Coburn said.
Senior management major and Big Event co-director Kristin Volker said a lot of preparation goes into the event. The committee started planning about 11 months in advance to make the day of service a success.
“We put in countless hours of work preparing, and it would not be as successful as it is today without each and everyone on the committee,” Volker said.
The program began with a welcome from Volker and Coburn. Other guests included Mayor Pat Patterson, Chancellor Dan Jones and Renasant Bank Vice President and Director of External Affairs John Oxford. Ole Miss head football coach Hugh Freeze also spoke before the volunteers were sent to their project sites.
The volunteers were all sent to their service sites to assist community members with particular projects. Team leaders were provided with supplies if needed on site, including trash bags and working gloves.
According to Coburn, the biggest goal completed for the event this year was increasing awareness of the event. There were more projects for volunteers compared to last year’s event. Volunteers were also able to sign up in groups for the first time.
Coburn and Volker hope to see the Big Event grow even more next year.
“My hopes for the future of the Big Event are high,” Volker said. “I am positive the event will be great under new leadership.”
— Maggie McDaniel
mhmcdani@go.olemiss.edu
