More than 3,000 Huskers are joining forces for the Big Event, a student-led day of service that will give back to the Lincoln community on April 7.

Organized by the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska, the Big Event allows students, faculty and staff to make direct impacts by completing projects for Lincoln residents, area nonprofits and community organizations.

“Big Event is a way for us to give back to a community that is so great and supportive of the university,” said Emily Locke, Big Event recruitment co-chair and junior psychology major from Malcolm. “We try to get as many students, faculty and staff involved to show the university’s appreciation.”

Nebraska students have led the event for 12 years. The inaugural Big Event in 2006 drew slightly more than 1,000 volunteers. The 2018 edition celebrates the first time more than 3,000 students have participated and the second time (including 2017) that the overall volunteer total has surpassed 3,000 participants.

Craig Chandler | University Communication

The Big Event is a day of service that started in 1982 at Texas A&M University. Nebraska has participated for 12 years. Today, it is offered at more than 70 universities nationwide with tens of thousands of students participating.

Big Event volunteers register in groups or individually. Organizers divide the volunteers into teams which, on April 7, will fan out to more than 270 job sites across the community.

“A lot of the volunteer work involves spring cleanup activities in neighborhoods and private residences,” Locke said. “But, it’s not all outdoor labor. Big Event volunteers also help with activities offered by community organizations and groups.”

Big Event, which was started at Texas A&M University in 1982, is the largest, one-day, student-run service project in the nation. It is offered at more than 70 universities across the nation with volunteers numbering in the tens of thousands.

Follow Nebraska’s Big Event progress on Twitter and Facebook.