The Big Event’s Big Impact for 2018

(Photo by Erin Rogers | TXK Today)
Sponsor

On Saturday, April 14, 2018, students, faculty, staff and alumni from Texas A&M University-Texarkana showed their appreciation to the community of Texarkana during The Big Event: Eagle Pride City Wide, a day of community service.

Participants line up to commence the Big Event 2018.
(Photo by Erin Rogers | TXK Today)

This annual event for A&M-Texarkana started last year with an overwhelming show of support and volunteer participation. Participants in The Big Event complete “done-in-a-day” community service projects ranging from raking leaves, washing windows, removing debris, cleaning closets, spreading mulch, painting and minor repairs to organizing donated goods, participating in games and activities with senior citizens, tutoring children and completing other proposed projects.

Items on the agenda for the volunteers includes: Randy Sams’ Outreach Shelter, Harvest Texarkana Regional Food Bank, Beverly Community Center and Garden, Sandflat Neighborhood Center, Mt. Sinai House of Prayer Ministries, Grant Writing Project, Downtown Neighborhood Association, Texarkana Farmers’ Market, Doorways Home Campus/ Health Department, The Warehouse, Wagons for Veterans, Museum of Regional History, Ace of Clubs House, Discovery Place, Habitat for Humanity, Alzheimers Alliance, Texarkana Beautiful Cleanup Team, Island Landscaping, Boys and Girls Club bleachers, Miller County Senior Center, Running WJ Ranch, Arkansas Animal Shelter, and Partnership for the Pathways.

David Orr, CIty Planner for Texarkana, Texas, helps students from TAMU-T with landscaping in the raised bed gardens Texarkana College construction students built and donated. (Photo by Erin Rogers | TXK Today)

Michael Stephenson, Coordinator of Student Life and Project Manager for The Big Event said, “Last year, our inaugural event boasted over 250 volunteers from our campus community that logged nearly 1,000 service hours. For one day, our campus community of students, faculty, staff, and alumni united to extend a helping hand by performing community service on both sides of the state line.” He added, “This is simply our way of showing our gratitude for the community’s unwavering support of our university.”

Michael Stephenson pumps up the crowd of participants outside TAMU-T’s STEM building.
(Photo by Erin Rogers | TXK Today)

The Big Event has become somewhat of a national phenomenon at a number of colleges and universities throughout the United States. It originated at Texas A&M University in 1982 when six students felt the need to give something back to the communities of College Station and Bryan, Texas. Since that time, more than 100 universities have joined the effort.

“We reformatted the national event to a big, one day event, we could unite the entire campus community, not just students,” said Stephenson. “At the conclusion of last year’s event, my heart was completely full. Our campus truly made an impact on local parks, neighborhoods, and organizations. We look forward to serving Texarkana again this year,” Stephenson said.

 

The Big Event is, “one big day, one big thanks, and one big event to say thank you to Texarkana for their unwavering support of our university,” added Stephenson. He continued, “This year we grew volunteer numbers by 25% and doubled our project sites. We welcomed project requests from nonprofits and community organizations.”

For more information, contact Michael Stephenson, Coordinator of Student Life, at Michael.Stephenson@tamut.edu or (903) 223-1362.

Sponsors:
Farmers bank and trust
Kind bar snacks
Sonic
Wendy’s
Starbucks

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