Friday, March 4, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Volunteers Needed for Sixth Annual Big Event

NORMAN, Okla. – On April 2, volunteers will clean up an outdoor classroom at Jefferson Elementary School, move over 6,000 books at the Moore Public Library and restore the Blake Baldwin Memorial Skate Park. More than 270 other community organizations will receive help as well, thanks to the student, faculty and staff volunteers with The Big Event.

“OU's Big Event is not just about what it does for the community, but the life-changing impact on the students who participate in the event,” said Becky Durrett, coordinator of the Oklahoma City Adopt-A-Street Program. “Through the giving up of a college student's Saturday to sleep in, study, go home or sit and watch TV, the student prioritizes this day of community service and possibly remembers it for a lifetime as an important part of what they ought to do all their adult life.”

The Big Event, OU’s campus-wide day of community service, is in its sixth year on campus. Mark Moravits, chairman of The Big Event, says volunteers are still needed to send to organizations like Jefferson Elementary School and the Moore Public Library on the day of the event.

“We have seen phenomenal growth over the past five years with more and more students, faculty and staff signing up to volunteer,” Moravits said. “This year is no exception. Our goal is 5,500 volunteers.”

Moravits says he encourages students who have never participated in The Big Event to sign up. Forms are available in the Center for Student Life and at bigevent.ou.edu, he said.

“Not many students know they can sign up individually, with a registered student organization or with a group of friends,” Moravits said. “This is a great way for students to get to know each other.”

Rebecca Orr, interior design senior, has volunteered for The Big Event for three years and plans to participate again this year. She says her favorite project was building toys for underprivileged children here in Norman.

“I got to hang out with my friends, and we were able to meet interesting people,” Orr said. “We were also able to do something we felt good about, which was the most important part.”

Many students who have never participated in The Big Event before have begun signing up to volunteer. Rebekkah Soroosh, who transferred here from the University of Michigan this year, plans to volunteer as part of the Transfer Leadership Class.

“I’ve wanted to participate in The Big Event because of its mysterious title,” Soroosh said. “I enjoy community service, and this is a way to get out and care for others.”

Soroosh said she thinks it’s important for students to volunteer because of the impact it has on others.

“A life that is just focused on yourself is pretty shallow,” she said. “Life is much more fulfilling when you invest it in the lives of others. It broadens your perspective, and it helps you grow as a person.”

For more information about The Big Event and how to host volunteers, visit http://bigevent.ou.edu.