The Big Event at Virginia Tech 2019
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Our 2019 Executive Team:
The Big Event at Virginia Tech is a student-run community service effort that has grown into the 2nd largest event of its kind in the nation. Every spring, thousands of students, faculty, and staff come together to complete hundreds of community service projects throughout Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and the New River Valley. Starting in 2002, The Big Event has grown exponentially. The 2002 Big Event saw about 475 volunteers with 60 projects. Last year, The Big Event 2018 saw 8,140 volunteers complete 1,125 projects.
Projects are completed regardless of need or socioeconomic status; instead, it is The Big Event’s goal to simply say “Thank you.” Rooted in our university’s motto of Ut Prosim (That I may serve) students and community members come together for a truly unparalleled experience.
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTORS:
Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) is ingrained in each and every student at Virginia Tech. The Big Event allows students an opportunity to live out Ut Prosim in many different ways. We have an executive team of 19 students, a committee of over 110 students and over 8,000 student volunteers. Combined, we are able to complete an astonishing 32,000 hours of community service in just one-day with over 1,100 projects in Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and The New River Valley.
At the beginning of each Big Event meeting, our team members share stories of the residents that we’ve interacted with throughout the years. Some of our residents served have lived in the New River Valley all their lives, while others are participating in their first year in their new home. And just as our residents range in age from newly-graduated to great-grandparents, our projects range from simple gardening to building fences and more labor intensive tasks. Overall, it is our goal to simply say “Thank You” to the people of the New River Valley who make Blacksburg such an inviting and fun place to live. We hope that by creating an opportunity in which students and residents, from all ages, races, and backgrounds, we shrink any gap between the Virginia Tech community and the New River Valley community. We truly believe that the town and university’s relationship is so positive due to the great scale and scope of services that The Big Event offers to local residents.
As a student-run event, we have costs of more than $45,000 each year. These costs come from rentals for the day-of, program supplies, tools, postage, publicity, copying/printing, storage rental, security, office supplies and t-shirts.Local residents have come to rely on our help and they look forward to meeting bright, energetic volunteers each Spring. We provide all of the necessary tools for projects and are looking to help even more local residents on April 6, 2019, that is not possible without a growth of funds as well. Every donation, no matter the size, will help us achieve this.
In the spirit of Ut Prosim,
Katie Rappold ‘19 and Kelly McConnell ‘19, Co-Directors
Steven Black ‘19, Assistant Director
The Big Event at Virginia Tech is a student-run community service effort that has grown into the 2nd largest event of its kind in the nation. Every spring, thousands of students, faculty, and staff come together to complete hundreds of community service projects throughout Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and the New River Valley. Starting in 2002, The Big Event has grown exponentially. The 2002 Big Event saw about 475 volunteers with 60 projects. Last year, The Big Event 2018 saw 8,140 volunteers complete 1,125 projects.
Projects are completed regardless of need or socioeconomic status; instead, it is The Big Event’s goal to simply say “Thank you.” Rooted in our university’s motto of Ut Prosim (That I may serve) students and community members come together for a truly unparalleled experience.
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTORS:
Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) is ingrained in each and every student at Virginia Tech. The Big Event allows students an opportunity to live out Ut Prosim in many different ways. We have an executive team of 19 students, a committee of over 110 students and over 8,000 student volunteers. Combined, we are able to complete an astonishing 32,000 hours of community service in just one-day with over 1,100 projects in Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and The New River Valley.
At the beginning of each Big Event meeting, our team members share stories of the residents that we’ve interacted with throughout the years. Some of our residents served have lived in the New River Valley all their lives, while others are participating in their first year in their new home. And just as our residents range in age from newly-graduated to great-grandparents, our projects range from simple gardening to building fences and more labor intensive tasks. Overall, it is our goal to simply say “Thank You” to the people of the New River Valley who make Blacksburg such an inviting and fun place to live. We hope that by creating an opportunity in which students and residents, from all ages, races, and backgrounds, we shrink any gap between the Virginia Tech community and the New River Valley community. We truly believe that the town and university’s relationship is so positive due to the great scale and scope of services that The Big Event offers to local residents.
As a student-run event, we have costs of more than $45,000 each year. These costs come from rentals for the day-of, program supplies, tools, postage, publicity, copying/printing, storage rental, security, office supplies and t-shirts.Local residents have come to rely on our help and they look forward to meeting bright, energetic volunteers each Spring. We provide all of the necessary tools for projects and are looking to help even more local residents on April 6, 2019, that is not possible without a growth of funds as well. Every donation, no matter the size, will help us achieve this.
In the spirit of Ut Prosim,
Katie Rappold ‘19 and Kelly McConnell ‘19, Co-Directors
Steven Black ‘19, Assistant Director
Organizer and beneficiary
Director of Fundraising
Organizer
Blacksburg, VA
Emily Mawyer
Beneficiary
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