Despite pandemic, UAH stages annual Big Event service day

Courtesy UAH OMC

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), part of The University of Alabama System, recently hosted the annual Big Event service day to benefit important local causes. Various campus and community business organizations took part in the volunteer festivities to help make this event a success while supporting those in need.

"The Big Event" at UAH is an annual student-led community service outreach day hosted in partnership with the Student Government Association. The Big Event is UAH’s largest day of service and allows students to complete direct service within the Huntsville community as a way of saying “thank you” for its continued support of The University of Alabama in Huntsville.

The event is a campus-wide gathering of service volunteers to support organizations like the National Children’s Advocacy Center. The occasion enables students, faculty and staff to give back to Huntsville and the surrounding areas. Every year, hundreds of individuals volunteer their time and efforts at numerous non-profit organizations across the city. This year the annual day of service was expanded to online and in-person events that took place over the course of an entire weekend.

This year’s theme, “It’s a BIG Day in the Neighborhood” was underscored by the Student Life Association for Campus Entertainment (ACE) hosting a showing of the Mr. Rogers movie “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” on Friday and Sunday night.

Extra precautions were taken to ensure the safety and health of all the participants, including providing a wider array of volunteer opportunities and an entirely virtual competition for the Golden Parking Pass competition which granted the winners the ability to park anywhere on campus next year.

All participants received a free event shirt and were provided with breakfast before beginning the morning of service. Prizes for top participating student organizations, fraternity and sorority were awarded. In addition, other prizes, escape rooms, large-scale competitions and an awards ceremony recognizing “Registered Student Organization (RSO) with the most members,” “best team,” “rising star” were held.