Volunteer

 
 

Enthusiastic Big Event volunteers participate in various community service tasks such as painting, landscaping, removing trash from roadways, and visiting with veterans and senior citizens on this one BIG day.

The Big Event enjoys working with student groups to provide great opportunities to fit their specific strengths and desires. For example, The Big Event has worked with OU students of music in order to allow them the opportunity to sing at nursing homes. The Big Event has also worked closely with construction students’ groups to place them in situations that give them the chance to build structures, such as sheds. By doing this, it becomes mutually beneficial to both the community and the students.

What Do Volunteers Do?

Where Do Volunteers Go?


The Big Event proudly serves more than 150 non-profit community agencies and institutions. With each year, we are able to not only return to the organizations served in the past, but also serve many new ones as well such as parks, playgrounds, medical communities, and churches. Each year there are many special activities that Big Event volunteers perform. Volunteers travel throughout Oklahoma City, Norman, and the surrounding communities to non-profit organizations to impact the area in a Big way.


What’s It Like to Volunteer?


On The Big Day volunteers go out into the community and begin to literally change lives. That morning the work is set in motion and with it the amazing gift of giving back to our community. Each volunteer will experience their own part of The Big Day from planting trees, painting, and cleaning up to listening, caring, and actively engaging their peers. Each volunteer will also take with them the overwhelming feeling of helping those around them in a Big way.


How Do I Become a Volunteer?


Volunteer applications will be available early Spring. Printable versions of the application will also be available here during that week. There are two kinds of applications. Groups of different organizations on campus banding together to volunteer or groups of friends signing up each should use The Big Event Group Application. The Individual Volunteer Application will also be available for anyone who is interested in volunteering. Individual volunteers are greatly needed and valued in all areas. Volunteers are never by themselves and are always with a group at a particular job site. Even if they are an individual volunteer the job sites require many helpers and therefore many volunteers are assigned to the sites. After filling out the application drop it off in Student Life, on the third floor of the Oklahoma Memorial Union. Don’t forget to pre-register before The Big Event in the Union Ballroom.


Who are Volunteers?


Students, faculty, and staff at all levels including groups of individuals volunteer for The Big Event. Group volunteers come from all areas of campus life: sororities and fraternities, campus organization, academic clubs, sports teams, faculty departments, staff departments, and most importantly groups of friends. Individual volunteers span an even wider range of campus life from all levels and are greatly appreciated. Hardworking, dedicated, and spirited OU students, faculty, and staff who participate in The Big Event realize the importance of community and the need that exists for service.


What are the Benefits?


The Big Event provides OU with the tremendous opportunity to say “thank you” to our surrounding community. By doing this, we are able to strengthen and deepen this community relationship.

Numerous essential community organizations benefit from The Big Event, through the services that the dedicated volunteers provide. OU students, faculty, and staff are proud to better the lives of the hundreds of thousands of people that rely on the services and facilities at which they volunteer.

Big Event volunteers are left with the lasting impression that they were able to make a difference in their community. One of the goals of The Big Event is to see students continue to strive to give back to our community after participating in this BIG day. In this way, The Big Event hopes to be a beginning, not an end to community service for the participants.


What About Safety?


Safety is of greatest concern at The Big Event. The Big Event Executive Team and Operations Staff thoroughly inspect each job site in order to ensure the quality and safety of the environment.

Additionally, all participants are required to sign liability forms, which release OU of responsibility for any injuries that might occur. For more information, please contact us at bigevent@ou.edu.