Overnight, spring had disappeared. Temperatures nosedived to the 40s, with a wind chill of 24 degrees. Rain sprinkled, then poured, pooling in the crevices of campus sidewalks as students decked out in rain boots and hooded slickers sloshed through puddles that lined campus. They were committed to showing up and showing out for The Big Event, the University of Oklahoma’s official day of community service.

Upon entering the Armory—location of this year’s opening ceremony—the sounds of Mother Nature dissipated, drowned out by the buzz of more than 5,000 volunteers. Sooner staples the Pride of Oklahoma Pep Band, the OU Pom Squad and the RUF/NEKS doubled the crowd’s energy, setting the tone for a day focused on community and giving back. 

OU held its first official Big Event in 1999, inspired by a longstanding Texas A&M initiative. In the 26 years since its launch, OU’s efforts have grown, and the university now holds the third-largest university Big Event in the nation by volunteer numbers. 

As the opening ceremony ended, students, faculty and staff spilled into the streets, making their way to more than 190 job sites throughout Norman and the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. 

Among the organizations receiving support was Mary Abbott Children's House, a child advocacy center whose mission is to prevent abuse and foster hope and healing. 

“Having The Big Event help us every year is a very important part of how we stay successful,” says the center’s education director, Ronni Roney. “The projects volunteers complete allow our staff to continue focusing on helping abused and neglected children and their families.”

Given the nature of their work, Abbott House aims to be a comfortable and accommodating space for all those who come through their doors. This year, volunteers helped with household chores like vacuuming and polishing woodwork, as well as painting decorative rocks that fill garden and patio spaces with messages of hope.

“The Big Event is always inspiring and is a huge energy boost for our staff,” Roney says. “It reminds us that we aren't alone in this work, and that there are many people who are willing to help.”

Thirteen miles away in Noble, Okla., several groups worked together to support the needs of WildCare Oklahoma, the largest native wildlife rehabilitation and conservation education facility in the state and among the largest in the nation. Although rain limited the scope of outside work, for nonprofits like Wildcare, there is an abundance of tasks that can be accomplished when gifted with helping hands. 

OU students spent their time organizing donated items in a storage shed and helped stuff envelopes with WildCare’s upcoming quarterly newsletter.

“We are so thankful for The Big Event’s level of support. The volunteers do everything from basic yard work to moving pea gravel to washing crates,” says Inger Giuffrida, WildCare’s executive director. 

“The projects out here are limitless because of the natural environment. We’re grateful to have The Big Event as a partner; they allow us to undertake a lot all at once and make quick work of what would take us weeks to accomplish. It's hard to convey the gratitude we have for that.”

Organizing thousands of volunteers across hundreds of sites is no easy feat. Behind the scenes, student leaders work tirelessly throughout the year to prepare. Shortly after each annual event, a new event chair and vice chairs are elected and hit the ground running, working throughout the summer to secure corporate sponsorships, says OU Office of Leadership & Volunteerism Assistant Director Vicky Bumgarner.

When the fall semester commences, applications for the executive team are released and the core team of nine students quickly blooms. By November, the leadership team will grow to roughly 100 people. The hard work of so many impassioned students annually culminates into one April day driven by, and focused on, serving the most vulnerable, Bumgarner says.

“At its core, The Big Event is a day of giving back to the community that gives so much to us,” she adds. “The students’ motto is ‘community through service,’ and one of the main reasons is that you build community when you serve together.”

“When I first came to OU, I knew I wanted to get involved in something meaningful,” says current Big Event Chair Kennedy Vice, who has served on the organization’s leadership team throughout college. “I instantly felt that sense of community. I’ve seen just how much heart goes into making this one day special. 

“The leadership skills I’ve gained, the friendships I’ve built and the moments I’ve shared with my team over the past four years have been some of the most meaningful of my college experience.” 

Bumgarner, who has served as The Big Event adviser for the past 10 years, has witnessed many of the ways students continue to create opportunities and expand engagement. As participation became contagious, students developed an expansion packet for high schools to either host their own event or to participate with OU. 

Operations staff also began jumping on calls with OU Alumni Association clubs that wanted to host their own events around the country, and The Big Event is now replicated at the OU Health Sciences and OU-Tulsa campuses, as well as in the heart of Italy at the OU in Arezzo campus. All this success led the team to establish another, smaller day of service in the fall—aptly named “The Little Event.”

Expansion aside, The Big Event’s core principles have remained the same—keep participation accessible and serve those in need. 

“For our students, community service is what they do,” says Bumgarner. “The Big Event isn't just one day in the spring. It’s a year-round mindset.” 

Erikah Brown is a strategic communications specialist for the OU Foundation.

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