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On Sat., April 13 the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ University community will give back to Southeast Texas in a big way. Students, faculty, staff and alumni will participate in a day of community service projects around the Southeast Texas community, called The Big Event.

“The Big Event is the largest one-day, student-run service project in the nation. Each spring, hundreds of ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ University students come together to say ‘thank you’ to the residents of the Beaumont community,” said Vy Nguyen, director of programming for The Big Event.

For the past three years LU students have participated in this annual event to show appreciation to the surrounding community. The Big Event committee works with nonprofit agencies to set up projects that ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ University students can complete in a day.

The day kicks off at 9 a.m. at the Montagne Center where participants gather, organize and then depart to various projects. Possible projects include, but are not limited to: building a fence, mulching a playground, spring cleaning a museum, cleaning out and organizing supplies, window washing and painting.

Brandie van Zanden, director of the Big Event said, “Each project is a little different, and students are able to make a huge impact on the agency that might not always be able to get a large number of volunteers to help complete a project.”

In 1982, Joe Nussbaum, then vice president of the Student Government Association at Texas A&M University, started The Big Event as a way for students to say "thank you" to the surrounding community. He had no idea that what started as a community service project for one community would turn into one of the largest national community service events run by students.

Since The Big Event's origination, this "one big day" has expanded to more than 75 universities across the nation with tens of thousands of students, faculty and staff participating in giving back to the members of their respective communities.

More than 300 ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ students, faculty, staff and alumni will be participating in The Big Event this year. The event is organized by The Big Event committee, under the area of civic engagement, in the department of New Student and Leadership under the division of Student Engagement. Students comprise the committee, therefore it is a student run and student led event.

“The SETX community welcomes students all year and this is the students’ chance to give back and thank the community for the support,” says van Zanden.