CTW Assistant Hall Director, 402.270.0967
UNK- The third annual Big Event, a day of service to the Kearney community provided by University of Nebraska at Kearney students, faculty and staff, will take place on Saturday, April 26.
The event will kick-off with a gathering at 9:30 a.m. in the UNK Health and Sports Center. From there, volunteers will begin working in the community at a variety of locations by 10 a.m.
According to Chris Hein of David City, a member of The Big Event UNK executive team, the event is a way of thanking the Kearney community for the support it gives UNK. Also members of the executive team, listed alphabetically by hometown, are Joel Hochstien of Hartington, Caprice Miner of Kearney, Tyler Cobb of McCook, Jordan Gonzales of Morrill and Angela Reynolds of Wood River.
Last year, more than 375 people helped at 45 different work sites in Kearney. The Big Event, an annual event at more than 70 universities across the country, is one of the largest student-run community service efforts in the nation. Among the service projects volunteers will be working with are woodchip replacement and pruning at Yanney Heritage Park Foundation, helping the Community Action Partnership build an outside nature classroom and assisting Kearney Habitat for Humanity. Volunteers can still sign up to participate in The Big Event, today through April 8.
“I think the most important reason for students to participate is to say ‘Thank You’ to the community,” Hein said. “Each year the Kearney community donates a great deal of their time, money and talents to help UNK students have successful and enjoyable college careers. It’s not often that students get or take the chance to tell the community ‘Thank You,’ but The BIG Event does just that.
“What’s so amazing,” he added, “is when you have nearly 400 students wearing the same shirts doing community service projects all across the community, it’s hard not to notice it.”
Volunteers will participate in service projects that benefit nonprofit organizations and individuals in the Kearney area. In addition, volunteers will help with the NPPD Power Drive, as well as work at Northridge Retirement Community and a variety of other locations around Kearney to help elderly and disabled people. Anyone interested in having a project completed for their nonprofit organization or for themselves can contact The Big Event executive team for a project request form.
“We request that only nonprofit organizations, those individuals who are physically unable to complete a project or those unable to pay to render such services, apply for assistance from The Big Event volunteers,” Hein said. Those who wish to have work done need to contact the executive team by Saturday, April 12.
For more information about The Big Event at UNK, or to support the organization or request assistance, individuals can e-mail the executive team at unkbigevent@gmail.com, call 402. 270.0967 or visit www.unk.edu/thebigevent
Sponsors for the event include: Chartwells, Little Caesars, Domino’s Pizza, Papa John’s Pizza, Valentino’s, Old Chicago, Menards and Blue Moon Design.
