Virginia Tech students give community a big thank you
On Saturday, April 1, more than 2,300 Virginia Tech students will fan out in the New River Valley to participate in the Big Event, a campus-wide day of service in which students say “Thank you” to the surrounding community for hosting the university.
The Big Event is a day-long event in which more than 225 jobs will be completed in Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Radford, Shawsville, Pembroke, and Pearisburg for residents, businesses, and local government organizations, including churches, animal shelters, nursing homes, and school and community centers. Jobs include painting fences, washing windows, general cleaning, yard work and more. For safety reasons, jobs cannot involve power, electric, or gasoline equipment. If needed, materials and tools for the service project are provided by The Big Event.
As this years’ major sponsor, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network has donated $10,000 to help purchase tools and equipment, rent trucks, and purchase insurance to cover student volunteers.
The Big Event started five years ago at Virginia Tech after students learned about a similar program at Texas A&M, and has grown each year since. The Big Event is put on by the Student Government Association of Virginia Tech. For additional information call (540) 231-8631 or go to the SGA website
Founded in 1872 as a land-grant college, Virginia Tech has grown to become among the largest universities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Today, Virginia Tech’s eight colleges are dedicated to putting knowledge to work through teaching, research, and outreach activities and to fulfilling its vision to be among the top research universities in the nation. At its 2,600-acre main campus located in Blacksburg and other campus centers in Northern Virginia, Southwest Virginia, Hampton Roads, Richmond, and Roanoke, Virginia Tech enrolls more than 28,000 full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries in 180 academic degree programs.
