TAMIU VOLUNTEERS GENERATE 20,000+ ‘BIG EVENT’ COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS Some 520 volunteers including TAMIU students, faculty, staff, and alumni donned their gardening gloves and planted trees during “The Big Event,” the University’s annual TAMIU day of service March 23, 2023. Together, they generated some 20,800 hours of community service with an approximate monetary impact of $475,000. Participants gathered at North Central Park, planting 150 trees, painting a mural, and picking up trash and debris. TAMIU president Dr. Pablo Arenaz lauded the students’ efforts. “You students are true ambassadors for TAMIU in our community ...and people in our community know that TAMIU students make a difference here, engage here, and make life better here. I’m enormously proud of the impact our Big Event participants have each and every year,” Dr. Arenaz said. This is the 14th year students served their community through “The Big Event.” Organizers took their inspiration from Texas A&M University in College Station, the home of The Big Event. All beautification efforts were brought about by the University’s Student Government Association L.O.V.E. Committee, Keep Laredo Beautiful, and the City of Laredo. The Big Event initially began at Texas A&M University in College Station in 1982, and has since been adopted by dozens of universities, serving communities across the nation. Embraced in 2009 by the TAMIU community, The Big Event has quickly become one of the University’s largest service initiatives. See a highlight video at go.tamiu.edu/thebigeventvideo 28
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mzk1Mzc4