“The Big Event” brings students together to give back to surrounding communities.

Richard Davis Jr., president of the Student Government Association, discussed how the first “The Big Event” was created by a college campus.

“The original ‘Big Event’ was started by student government members at Texas A&M University in 1982,” said Davis. “This was a way to say ‘Thank You’ to the surrounding community.”

Madisyn Bankston, the outreach coordinator for “The Big Event,” discussed the program’s introduction to the university.

“The first ‘Big Event’ took place at Southeastern in 2011,” shared Bankston. “With just over 34 job sites and 300 students giving their time to serve the community, Southeastern brought something to Hammond that would impact the community for years to come.”

“The Big Event” provides the community with a way to interact with the students face to face.

“Every time we call job sites that have continuously participated in ‘The Big Event’ throughout the years, they are always so thrilled to hear that our students will be providing a helping hand once again,” stated Bankston. “This has made such a difference by ensuring that our surrounding businesses and nonprofit organizations know that students from Southeastern are always here to provide a hand when needed.”

Karley Bordelon, SGA director of traditions, explained how the event is a great opportunity to connect with classmates and university leaders.

“At the end, we come together after ‘The Big Event’ for a nice group lunch,” shared Bordelon. “Faculty and administrators will be there, and everyone is very excited to see how the 2019 ‘Big Event’ goes with almost double the participants as last year.”

In addition, “The Big Event” also offers various clubs the chance to join together to support their community.

“This event has made a difference because organizations have come to rely on ‘The Big Event’ for huge, annual service projects,” explained Bordelon. “They get excited about having so many students come out and help them with whatever they need to get done.”

According to Bordelon, the event led to increased participation in the community.

“‘The Big Event’ has had a huge impact on the community,” said Bordelon. “This year, we are seeing a huge growth in participation with the addition of Upward Bound students and alumni teams. It not only provides meaningful life lessons to students, but it also provides support to our local nonprofits, businesses and organizations.”

SGA entered its ninth year of organizing “The Big Event.”

“That is nine years of services, nine years of helping hands and nine years that our student body has come together to give back to those around us,” expressed Bankston. “Our goal is to make ‘The Big Event’ bigger every single year.”

Davis hopes students take advantage of this opportunity to give back to the community.

“’The Big Event’ has had a large effect on Hammond and the surrounding community,” said Davis. “Over the years, we have given back through jobs such as painting, litter pickup, landscaping, free car washes, and I am extremely excited for this year’s ‘Big Event.’ I encourage all of our registered participants to show up with an open mind and a heart willing to serve.”