Rebecca Hoesing
co-chair of The Big Event, unkbigevent10@gmail.com
UNK– More than 300 University of Nebraska at Kearney students will be cleaning up the Kearney community at over 20 locations as part of The Big Event on Saturday, April 10.
The Big Event is a day of volunteer service to the Kearney community provided by UNK students, faculty and staff. The volunteers will participate in service projects that benefit nonprofit organizations and individuals in the Kearney area.
“The Big Event is a way for students at UNK to give back to the community that supports our institution. It is important to show our appreciation for all that Kearney has done for UNK,” said Rebecca Hoesing of Laurel, The Big Event co-chair. Regan Ruhl, a UNK student from Wayne, has also helped organize the event.
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.
“Students will partake in a number of community service projects, from yard work to spring-cleaning to helping build a house with Habitat for Humanity,” Hoesing said.
The event will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Foster Field. From there, volunteers will begin working in the community at a variety of locations by 10:30 a.m.
Sponsors for the event include Kearney businesses Moonlight Embroidery, Runza, Pizza Hut, Old Chicago, Valentino’s, Sax’s Pizza, Thunderhead Brewing, Papa John’s and Little Caesars Pizza.
Among The Big Event community service projects are:
Habitat for Humanity- general construction work.
Goodwill Industries- cleaning, organizing .
First Lutheran Church- spring cleaning.
Autumn Village- wash windows.
Grace Fellowship- cleaning, moving drywall.
St. John’s Good Samaritan Center- yard work, painting.
Great Platte River Archway- dig holes and make walkway for a pow wow.
Mother Hull Nursing Home- bingo, crafts and walks.
Salvation Army- yard work– rake, clean backyard.
Mount Carmel- plant flower beds.
Kearney Area Humane Society- exercise and groom dogs.
Kearney Recycling- sort recycling and pick-up litter .
Bricks Rotary Club- highway clean-up.
Senior Hospitality Center- office cleaning.
Nebraska Firefighters Museum- planting grass and painting.
