Montevallo, Ala. – More than 700 students participated in The Big Event on Sat. April 9 at the University of Montevallo. The 2016 gathering involved approximately 29 percent of the student body and was the largest in the six-year history of the event.
“The Big Event is a unique opportunity not just for students to take part in community service, but also actively give back to our surrounding community,” Lito Hilario, SGA director of social services and UM junior stated.
Students representing more than 35 organizations ranging from Greeks to athletic teams canvased the city of Montevallo and surrounding areas, spending their Saturday morning painting, cleaning, doing yard work and other helpful tasks that community organizations and residents requested.
The Big Event is organized and sponsored by the University of Montevallo Student Government Association, which provided tools for each team to use at the individual sites, ranging from local churches to residences in Montevallo and Brierfield.
“I love seeing the University come together for The Big Event,” Hilario added. “Members from almost every student organization all over campus come together and work to help our community. The Montevallo community supports the University so well, so it’s great to work together to be able to give back.”
Participating organizations included Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Alpha Kappa Lambda, Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Tau Omega, ACDA (American Choral Directors’ Association), BCM (Baptist Campus Ministry), Best Buddies, Chi Omega, Delta Gamma, FCS (Family and Consumer Sciences) Student Group, Housing and Residence Life, Lambda Chi Alpha, Minority Student Union, Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams, Men’s and Women’s Soccer teams, Minority Student Union, Montevallo Film Production Club, NAfME (National Association for Music Education), NAACP, Phi Chi Theta, Phi Gamma Delta, Phi Mu, Psychology Club, Secular Student Alliance, Social Work Club, Student Dietetic Association, Student Government Association, The Alabamian, Track and Field, UM Cheerleaders, UM Smith Scholars, Upward Bound, Volleyball team and Zeta Phi Beta.
For more information on The Big Event or other UM Campus Life activities please visit www.montevallo.edu/um-life/.
About The University of Montevallo
The University of Montevallo seeks to be unique in higher education in Alabama, by providing students from throughout the state an affordable, geographically accessible, “small college” public higher educational experience of high quality. Settled within an atmosphere of national historic beauty and offering a tradition of innovative cultural expression, we seek to provide professional programs supported by a broad base of arts and sciences that are designed for intellectual and personal growth in the pursuit of meaningful employment and responsible, informed citizenship.