‘A way to say thank you’: 265 volunteers join in UNL mission of community service

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Volunteers of all ages came together to make the community a little brighter on Saturday.

The Big Event, hosted by the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, brought together 265 students, faculty and community members.

All of them had one goal: to help those who need it most.

“The Big Event is just a way to say thanks to the city of Lincoln and Lancaster County,” said Lila Sehwarz, one of the co-directors of the event.

She said it’s a way to show how grateful everyone is to live in the capitol city and go to UNL.

Groups spread out across 30 different homes, neighborhoods and organizations in the capital city.

Each one helped with everything from yard work to home repairs.

“It’s so surreal to see all of the planning and ideas we’ve had come to fruition and to see the impact that it’s having,” Sehwartz said. “It’s one thing to say we have 265 volunteers, but it’s another thing to see 265 people all coming together for this one goal and common purpose we have today.”

Saturday marked 20 years since the start of the mission.

“Our goal is to keep growing it, keep expanding it,” Sehwartz said. “We’re coming back next year, so that will be helpful. We just want to keep our progress going.”

After a decline in participation due to the pandemic, this year came as a way of rebuilding.

“We have a good foundation from this year,” said Raegan Elmblad, co-director of the Big Event. “Next year we really hope we can focus less on the minor things, but more on the deeper stuff like how we can really connect to people and get people to come.”