By Mary Rose Bevins
Quinnipiac University students, staff and faculty gathered in the recreational center this morning for their largest event for community service, the Big Event.
Around 1600 participants and 200 teams spread out to over 100 sites throughout Connecticut and helped out in any way possible. Participants volunteered at specific locations including private residences, the Hamden Youth Center, senior living centers, and the New Haven Green.
“They will do anything the site needs them to do whether it’s walking dogs, painting or an outside clean up,” co-director Katie Wilcox-Smith said.
Wilcox-Smith said students were excited and ready to get out in the community as they started filling the recreational center at 8 a.m. for check-in. It’s an event that brings the whole Quinnipiac community together.
“It’s civic engagement and I think it’s really important to do community service and it’s a great way for the community to come together,” Wilcox-Smith added.
Participants headed out to various locations around 9:30 a.m. and provided their services until 1 p.m. One team, Quinnipiac sorority Delta Delta Delta, volunteered at the Southington Sloper YMCA and moved picnic tables and picked up garbage.
“It’s nice to help them because they need to get ready for the upcoming April break for the kids,” senior Jessica Ciccarella said.
After the participants finished, they headed back to the recreational center to close out the day.
Updated Sunday at 6:17 p.m.
Wilcox-Smith is hoping next year is bigger and better than ever as its their 10th annual Big Event.
Click through the photos to view the slideshow of students out volunteering during the Big Event.