Northeastern State University celebrates 10th Annual Big Event

(Tahlequah, Okla.)-- Once a year, NSU students, faculty, and staff come together to volunteer during The Big Event. The philanthropic occasion takes place on a Saturday where the NSU community comes together to say thank you to Tahlequah businesses and community members, which is the Big Events main mission.

NSU is just one of over 70 other schools that are a part of the volunteer event and this April 2, 2016, marks year 10 of NSUs participation. In those 10 years, the NSU community has been able to help thousands of Tahlequah residents.

The Humane Society of Cherokee County is an all-volunteer organization, so having a large turnout for the Big Event is extremely important for us. It's also a good social experience for people and animals alike. We always end up with repeat volunteers that come back after the Big Event, Chris Miller, HSCC volunteer, said.

Everyone at NSU is encouraged to volunteer and participants include individual students, faculty, staff, and groups such as clubs and Greek organizations. Volunteering can be a life changing experience and volunteers have the chance to learn life lessons while they help the community.

One of the key lessons I grasped while volunteering at The Big Event is that there will always be a helping hand when the community is involved, Roni Moreland, a junior from Nowata, said.

Moreland is the president of the student organization Students for Animal Welfare.

Students for Animal Welfare really came together as a group to help others in need and that will always inspire me to continue to volunteer whether it be for The Big Event or other similar events.

All local businesses and residents of the Tahlequah community are encouraged to request volunteers. Jobs are varied and include, but are not limited to, window washing, yard work, garage cleanup, and general cleaning.

The Big Event is possible because of generous donations from the community. The donations go toward needed event items such as rakes, shovels, paper towels, work gloves and more. Anyone is welcome to make a donation.

For more information about The Big Event and how to submit projects, please visit: www.nsuok.edu/TheBigEvent.

Published: 2016-01-08 16:37:30.080000