Joshua Smith editor in chef boyardee
Editor’s Note: An alternate version of this article was published in the Feb. 11 issue of the Morning Sun with a different focus due to the different audiences.
Pittsburg State University’s Student Government Association (SGA) is organizing their yearly biggest day of community service, known as “The Big Event” which will take place on April 5. The service mostly revolving around yard work will benefit the surrounding community as a way to say, “thank you,” to the residents of the Pittsburg area. SGA asks for donations from the area’s businesses to fund the tools and supplies used by the roughly 400 students working in over 50 yards. Companies who donate can have their logo displayed on the back of the promotional T-shirt for advertising and goodwill. Registration for student organizations to participate in The Big Event starts Feb. 15, with sign up on Gorilla Engage.
Heading the organizational efforts is Pitt State SGA Director of Community Engagement, Darrel McLeod, a sophomore majoring in media production in communications and a marketing major in business. McLeod covered the purpose of the event, the needs of the organization, and the joy of service.
SGA aims to continue to build up the local community by doing maintenance and cleaning for those who find it difficult to take care of these tasks on their own. Upon request, any home, referred to as a site, can have any form of work done.
“Our focus is the elderly or differently-abled,” McLeod said. “Anyone who can’t get to tasks like yard maintenance or general cleaning of their home. Our main three are cleaning gutters, cleaning windows, and raking leaves. Last year, some of our young men from the Sigma fraternity had to move a bunch of toys from someone’s backyard into a garage. What we try to do is go to these houses and just help them out. The whole idea of it is just serving the community.”
The joy of knowing others have been helped drives McLeod and other students involved in the Big Event.
“Whenever you visit that homeowner, it’s always such a magical thing,” McLeod said. “They’re like, ‘I could never have done this, thank you so much.’ It’s a different kind of feeling because you know that you actually impacted someone—you could see it on their face. That feeling is better than almost anything else.”
McLeod asks those who are considering volunteering to think of the lasting good they can make happen.
“Get out there and help,” McLeod said. “It’s volunteer work at the end of the day and you’re gonna be raking leaves and cleaning gutters, but that difference and that smile that you see from that homeowner who you have helped is all worth it. Help us volunteer and make this day special for our community.”
The only requirement is a willingness to help. With the goal set at 600 volunteers, SGA will need everyone available to register between Feb. 15 and March 31.
“The best way to help out with The Big Event is just to be an able body,” McLeod said. “Our goal this year is to get at least 600 volunteers; we typically get around 400. Registration will open Feb. 15 at midnight and the deadline is March 31.
Businesses and individuals can donate money, which is used to buy tools and supplies needed to get the jobs done.
“The Big Event is a 501 (c) (3) which means we run strictly off of donations and fundraising,” McLeod said. “Typically, we go to the businesses here in Pittsburg and it’s a chance for advertising, but it’s also a chance for adding goodwill to any company. All these businesses have an impact on Pittsburg, and we’re hoping they’ll help these students.”
In addition to the typical single-use supplies, the years of wear on items like gloves and rakes has sparked an increased need for donations.
“This year, one of our biggest costs is going to be buying gloves because they’ve deteriorated over the past few years,” McLeod said. “Rakes are also a must. We have a pretty good supply of them, but those have been used for the last five to ten years now. Also, always recurring are things like towels, window cleaning supplies, and trash bags.”
McLeod specifically recognized the past support of Root Coffeehouse owner and Pitt State’s Director of Media Relations, Andra Stefanoni, as well as highlighted recent contact with the owner of Honey Does and Kelce College of Business’ Internship and Career Readiness Coordinator, Melissa Weed.
“We (usually) ask Andra over at Root, she’s always been amazing, and I recently got in contact with Melissa Weed at Honey Does,” McLeod said.
McLeod shares a special connection with the Pitt State Big Event–his sister took part in Pittsburg’s first Big Event 22 years ago.
“This is our 22nd anniversary,” McLeod said. “This has been a nationwide thing for a few years, we’re one of the colleges they picked for it, and we’ve been lucky to keep it going for these past 22 years. My sister did this back in the day; she’s a bit older than me and she was here when the first Big Event was here at Pitt State. Whitney describing it to me as this great thing that they had going on, it’s always intrigued me, and I continued that legacy.”
Corey Humble, a junior pre-med with an emphasis in pediatrics and human comm major, mentored McLeod last year, preparing him for his position this year.
“Last year I was able to follow Corey, who was the previous director, and he let me ride around with him, and this year I was given the honor of being the director,” McLeod said. “He was like, ‘You can plan the biggest service thing at Pitt State and make a real difference.’ It’s been a fun year so far trying to plan it all, get it all together, and make it my own.”
McLeod and Humble plan to combine their experience in serving others to serve our students, running for SGA vice president and president respectively.
“I’m gonna be running for vice president, with Corey Humble running for president,” McLeod said. “We got a couple of great people who are supposed to be joining our party and I’m hoping that we have a good election season. Our platform revolves around collaboration with organizations, service, and sustainability. As we both have been directors of The Big Event, service has been our backbone.”
Like Buc-ees and many other big things, the first Big Event originated in Texas, organized by the SGA at Texas A&M University in 1982. The event spread nationally from there and achieved international reach in 2014. There are currently 130 Big Events in the United States.