What Happened
Despite rainy weather in the low 50s, over 800 volunteers attended the annual Big Event, a significant community service day. The event sent students across town to complete projects, such as yard work, for residents and local businesses. The number of volunteers is below the initial goal of 1,000 volunteers. Still, it is mainly in line with the past few years since the first post-covid big event. However, these numbers are significantly lower than the 2019 big event, which, according to the CommonwealthU website, boasted over 2,000 volunteers.

Why It Matters
The Big Event is an annual service project that connects students with the town of Bloomsburg through volunteer work. It aims to strengthen town-gown relations by encouraging students to engage directly with the local community. Local businesses also support the event, contributing to a strengthened partnership between the university and the town. Initiatives like The Big Event have helped rebuild in-person community engagement following the pandemic.

The Background
The Big Event started in 2010 and has become one of Bloomsburg’s largest student-led service initiatives. Each year, students volunteer to help residents, businesses and community organizations with projects such as yard work and public space cleanups.

Local businesses contributed $8,650 in monetary and material donations toward a $10,000 fundraising goal. Organizers said the ongoing partnership among students, university leadership and the business community reflects a shared commitment to strengthening ties between the campus and the town.

Despite challenges such as weather and changing student engagement trends, the Big Event remains a key tradition at Bloomsburg, highlighting students’ dedication to community service.