More than 700 students volunteered during NDSU’s largest single-day, student-organized service event as a way to thank the community for its support.
The effort, named The BIG Event, helped 38 non-profit agencies, 40 individual homes and three churches by putting in a total of 1,402 volunteer hours during one rain-soaked day.
The BIG Event’s economic impact equaled an estimated $26,890, according to Hailey Goplen, assistant director for service learning and civic engagement at NDSU.
“The event is incredibly important to NDSU as well as the surrounding Fargo-Moorhead community,” Goplen said. “I was blown away by the large turnout. The students who showed up to serve were motivated only by their willingness to give back to a phenomenal community that supports NDSU.”
Steady rain this year forced the cancellation of several outdoor volunteer projects. The BIG Event initially had more than 1,000 volunteers signed up.
Last year’s event had more than 800 volunteers.
The BIG Event was first established by Texas A&M University in 1982 by a former student body president. It has become the largest student-organized volunteer event in the country.
NDSU’s BIG Event began in 2009.
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation’s top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.