Give Back to Your Community by Participating in The Big Event
Each year, more than 6,000 OU students, faculty and staff across all three campuses gather to participate in The Big Event – the University of Oklahoma’s official day of community service – completing service projects at over 200 jobsites. Volunteers have the opportunity to directly impact numerous community organizations by completing projects such as painting, landscaping, removing trash from roadways, and visiting with veterans and senior citizens.
Josephine Hriscu, a Big Event volunteer, said that her favorite service project through The Big Event was painting doors at a memory care facility.
“After painting almost the entire day, being able to see the patients and their families’ joy that afternoon made it so rewarding,” she said. “Employees made comments about how much we brightened the place up, and I can confidently say that every hour spent working there was so worth it!"
Another volunteer, Avery Dickinson, shared that seeing the impact she made at her project reminded her why she loves participating in The Big Event.
“After completing a service project at Terra Verde Discovery School, one of the administrators laid down the amount of hours and cost we had saved them that day, after only being there for 4 hours,” Dickinson said. “We made a lasting impact and had saved their staff so much manual labor, so they would be able to focus on more important tasks for their school. I’ve always been all about the numbers, so being able to view it in terms of hours and dollars we were able to save them helped me remember why I love serving.”
Learn more about how you can get involved with The Big Event on your campus and make an impact in your community.
Norman Campus
Big Event Date: April 10, 2021
Participants are invited to attend a virtual kickoff ceremony scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Immediately following the ceremony, participants will disperse to various jobsites across the Norman and Oklahoma City area. Service projects will last until approximately 2 p.m., and all necessary supplies, breakfast, lunch, water and T-shirts will be provided.
Individuals and groups can register to volunteer until 11:59 p.m. March 26. Groups can consist of official and unofficial student organizations, friend groups, residence halls or any combination of two or more individuals.
Health Sciences Center
Big Event Date: April 17, 2021
A kickoff ceremony will take place at 8 a.m. at the HSC Student Union, where registered participants will receive a T-shirt and complimentary breakfast. Service projects will take place from 9:30 a.m. – noon at various job sites across the greater Oklahoma City area.
OUHSC faculty, staff and students can register to volunteer here.
OU-Tulsa
Big Event Date: April 17, 2021
Join the OU-Tulsa Big Event team at 8 a.m. in Founders Student Center for breakfast before heading to event sites around 9 a.m. Service projects will last until approximately noon, and volunteers will be assigned to one of three locations – The Oklahoma Aquarium, Emergency Infant Services or 2021 Tulsa Creek Clean Up.
Click here to register to volunteer.
Student volunteers at the 2019 Big Event
Article Published: Wednesday, March 24, 2021