Jen Martinez Aguirre paused beside an overgrown shrub on the side of a Lincoln home, adjusting an electric hedge trimmer before guiding it back into thick branches. Though the battery was fading, she kept working until the job was done.
“It’s not always easy for people — especially if they’re older — to take care of things like this,” said Aguirre, a senior child, youth and family studies major from Grand Island. “I like knowing that what we do actually makes a difference for them.”
Aguirre was one of more than 260 University of Nebraska–Lincoln students who spread across Lincoln on April 11 for the Big Event, the university’s largest single-day service project. Now in its 20th year, the student-led effort connects volunteers with dozens of sites across the city, offering help with physically demanding work and reinforcing ties between campus and community.
This year’s event included more than 30 job sites, ranging from private homes to local organizations. Much of the work centered on outdoor projects — raking leaves, pulling weeds, trimming shrubs, hauling dirt and spreading mulch — tasks that can be time-consuming or difficult to manage alone.
Organized through the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska, the event was led by Lila Schwarz, a junior chemical engineering major, and Raegan Elmblad, a sophomore journalism and advertising and public relations major. The duo focused on rebuilding participation and expanding awareness of the program.
“We’re bringing together student organizations and individual volunteers — just people who want to help,” Schwarz said. “It’s one big day to give one big thanks to the community.”
Aguirre worked alongside two other students assisting Mary Ann Kozisek. The team completed a list of yard projects that included trimming bushes, emptying and refilling flower pots, mulching a garden path and hauling dirt.
“What they’re doing in about 45 minutes would take me half a day,” said Kozisek, who has participated in the Big Event for three years. “They’ve been great help every time I’ve had them come out.”
For her, the value is both practical and personal — a few hours of concentrated effort that lifts a physical burden while creating a connection with the students doing the work.
“It’s a win-win situation,” Kozisek said. “I think it’s good for them to go out, and it’s good for us, particularly as senior citizens, to interact with the students.”
Across the city, other student groups took on projects at community sites, including the Lincoln Children’s Zoo, where members of Phi Kappa Theta hauled mulch and assisted with grounds maintenance.
For many students, the day offered a chance to step outside campus routines and engage directly with the community.
“It’s just a great chance to give back, especially to our city,” said Isaac Hoagland, a second-year architecture student volunteering with his fraternity. “I’ve been here my whole life, so it’s great for us to spread out across the city and help where we can.”
Others described the experience as a meaningful way to connect beyond the university.
“It feels good to know what we’re doing actually makes a difference,” Aguirre said.
Organizers said that immediate, visible impact is what sets the Big Event apart — the ability to see a yard transformed or a task completed within a few hours.
“This is the largest day of service in the state of Nebraska,” Elmblad said. “It’s a way for us to give back to Lincoln — our home for most of the year.”
