Campus Life

Students Give Back To Galveston With The Big Event

On March 23, students from Texas A&M University at Galveston volunteered for The Big Event, the largest student-run, single-day of volunteering in the nation. Since its inception in College Station in 1982, The Big Event has grown to national proportions, now with well over 100 Big Events across the country.

Colonel Michael Fossum, vice president of Texas A&M and chief operating officer of the Galveston Campus, expressed his pride in the volunteers at the opening ceremony. Fossum visited several of the sites to share words of encouragement and lend a helping hand.

Sites included nonprofit organizations, schools, parks and more. Local residents, organizations and business owners look forward to the annual event, which strengthens the relationship between Texas A&M University at Galveston and the larger Galveston community through selfless service. Aggie Moms packed and delivered lunches for volunteers, who were thankful for a short break and a bite to eat before getting back to work.

Volunteers picked up trash, painted, planted trees and more, and with 405 volunteers at 28 different sites for 2024, The Big Event continues to grow each year on the Galveston Campus as more and more student organizations and individuals participate.

Natalie Meklenburg ’25, who has volunteered each year since her freshman year, was a site leader for The Big Event student organization. Her group of student volunteers served at Seawolf Park, where they repainted facilities and cleaned up trash from the park’s shoreline.

“I love giving back to Galveston because it’s given so much to all of us,” said Meklenburg. “I try to do what I can for the community just because I have the ability to do it.”