OU will host its annual Big Event, the university’s largest day of service, on Saturday.
Students, faculty and staff travel around the Norman and Oklahoma City area to perform community service. Students may register to volunteer through registered student organizations, friend groups or their graduating class and assist nonprofit and community organizations.
The Big Event began in 1982 at Texas A&M, with OU holding its first Big Event in the spring of 1999, and the event has only grown since its founding. This year’s Big Event will cover 165 job sites with around 3,600 volunteers participating, an increase from last year’s turnout of around 3,400.
Job sites include nonprofit and food service organizations, individual homes and Norman parks. Students participate by helping with yard work, home repair and organizing.
Audrey Bickerstaff, chair of the 2026 Big Event, said service allows students to repay their community.
“Being in a college town, Norman revolves a lot around us, …” Bickerstaff said. “Take a moment and be thankful and find an opportunity to give back to the community that gives so much to us.”
While registration for the 2026 Big Event has closed, Bickerstaff said she encourages all students who were apprehensive to register to consider volunteering another year.
“Whatever your fear going into (the Big Event) was, at least give it one chance,” Bickerstaff said. “Listen to your friends or the people that you know that came back from their volunteering, and hopefully hear some really good stories from that.”
The opening ceremony will be held at 8 a.m. Saturday on the North Oval with free breakfast for volunteers. Volunteering will last from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Donations to the Big Event can be made online.
This story was edited by Macey Thaxton. Kennedy Johnson and Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
