Sydney Granitur, a junior hospitality management major, helps clean up a butterfly garden during the Big Event on Saturday.
Saturday’s rain clouds failed to deter more than 2,700 Ole Miss students from stepping out to give back to the Oxford and Lafayette community this weekend. Volunteers dusted shelves at Oxford Public Library, picked up trash along Highway 7 and helped hose down trucks at the Oxford Fire Department this weekend during the Big Event.
Student Union director Bradley Baker said weather was a concern for Big Event organizers from a month out from the event through the final hours before. He said he was proud to see so many students lined up and ready to work early Saturday morning.
“With the weather less than optimal for outdoor work, it would have been very easy for students to turn off their alarm and sleep in on Saturday morning,” Baker said.
Baker said Saturday’s showing of student dedication and organization impressed him and the event could not have gone as smoothly as it did without student organizers like Miller Richmond and Alex Martin.
“Rising leaders within the organizations look for ways to make changes to enhance the overall experience, and that started immediately after Saturday,” he said.
Tony Van, a sophomore biochemistry major, cleans up trash next to the highway during Ole Miss’ Big Event on Saturday.
Freshman volunteer Katie Davis joined group 83 to clean local retiree Billie Allio’s house and yard. Davis said the retired teacher thanked the students for helping make her Oxford home beautiful, as she recently moved back to town after 13 years teaching in Cairo.
Group 83 raked leaves in Allio’s garden, washed her windows and organized a storage unit full of her travel souvenirs. Despite all the work, Davis said her favorite part of the day was getting to better know both Allio and her group members.
“We had such a great time laughing about our attempts to use heavy-duty tools, getting our hands dirty and getting to know each other,” Davis said.
Baker said the Big Event is unique because it impacts not only the students who volunteer but Oxford community members, as well.
“Aside from working with some of the university’s strongest student leaders, it is especially rewarding to hear of the success stories from friends and family throughout the community,” he said.
Davis said throughout the day of service, Allio’s appreciation for the student volunteers stuck out. After jumping in and helping with the work, Allio prepared a barbecue lunch for the student volunteers.
“When it was time to go, she looked at her yard with the biggest smile on her face and said that it had never looked better and maybe never will again,” Davis said. “That just made my whole week.”
