Monika Leininger
Mleinin1@uwyo.edu
Simpson Plaza was filled with students from student-led organizations willing to dedicate their day to helping out the community on Saturday morning.
The Big Event is a large student-run service day that gathers students and community residents together to show appreciation and support for each other.
Erin Olsen, assistant director of the Service, Leadership and Community Engagement (SLCE) office, said attendance was over 700 volunteers this year, and the Big Event was a tremendous success.
“It’s just so wonderful the community we are in. The Big Event is about giving back to the community, seeing the community and making connections in the community,” Olsen said.
The SLCE office works with community businesses and residents to find out where help is needed around Laramie. Starting in the spring and summer the SLCE office sends out work requests through emails, servers, tabling and events like the farmers market to connect with members and residents.
“We partnered with the City of Laramie and that was great – they were so helpful,” Olsen said.
Students were taking part in myriad service activities around the city. Whether it was painting windows, raking leaves, moving furniture, cleaning up areas or beautifying Laramie, everyone was hard at work.
Jack Phillips, community resident, said the event has been helpful the past couple years.
“It’s really a nice thing that they do here. I’m on oxygen 24 hours a day – there’s no way I can do it all myself, so if it weren’t for the volunteers, I’d have to hire someone,” Phillips Community resident, “The kids really do a great job.”
Laura Zander, senior social work student and secretary of Associated Students of Social Work (ASSW), volunteered in the event.
“I worked with two other ASSW members and we helped a single mother move furniture and boxes between a storage unit and her new house,” Zander said. “The mother had recently gone through a divorce and had three children and could no longer afford the house she was previously living in.”
Zander said it was great to be able to help the family in a difficult time in their life and help them feel more situated and comfortable in their new home.
“Seeing the appreciation and the gratitude on the family members’ faces made it all the more worthwhile,” Zander said.
The annual Big Event started on campus three years ago. The SLCE office hopes to continue to serve the Laramie community in years to come, Olsen said.
