COURTESY UM BIG EVENT
The University of Mississippi will host the fourth annual Big Event this Saturday.
The Big Event consists of about 150 different service projects directed by University of Mississippi students who work in groups to complete each project.
Eric Villarreal, co-director of volunteer recruitment and senior biochemistry major, is confident that the day of service is worth volunteers’ time.
“There is no better day of the year to go out and serve others, as others have served us,” Villarreal said. “I promise that you will have such a good experience from the beginning to the end. Plus, breakfast is served that morning, and everyone loves a free breakfast.”
Ole Miss students created a Big Event committee in Oxford in 2010 after seeing a similar service day at Texas A&M. Although still fairly new on campus, the service day has had much success in the past and is predicted to have even more this year.
Sophomore exercise science major Lauren Malone said she thinks the Big Event is a fulfilling experience.
“I was able to give back to our community while having a lot of fun,” Malone said. “It really seemed to bring students together for a great cause. I’m excited for Saturday.”
According to Kristin Volker, Big Event director and senior management major, one team leader heads each group. These leaders will be trained at sessions this week in preparation for the event. After training, the leaders will notify their group members regarding details about Saturday.
Through March 3, any Oxford-Lafayette resident could register a project online, ranging from cleaning out a garage to sprucing up a lawn. The project was then approved to be an official Big Event service project for one of the teams to complete Saturday.
“We are still building and still getting our name out there, but we have had great success,” Volker said.
Volunteers will meet in the Tad Pad before beginning their projects. The projects will last from 7 a.m. to noon.
