With 20,503 students participating in The Big Event on Saturday, coordinators and speakers expressed the same idea – thank you for helping us say, “Thank you.”
David Trigg, The Big Event operations executive, said The Big Event was able to post record-breaking numbers in fundraising, student participation, jobs recruited and completed and day-of vendors and sponsors.
“The Big Event at Texas A&M has set a new precedent,” Trigg said. “Our team, faculty and student body put on the largest and greatest servant leadership experience-based event in the country,” Trigg said. “We could not have done this without the phenomenal support of every Fighting Texas Aggie who helped and participated in The Big Event.”
Ben D. Welch, director of Halliburton Programs at the Mays Business School, was the keynote speaker. In addressing the thousands of students gathered outside Reed Arena on Saturday morning, Welch said participants showed where their priorities lie by sacrificing their Saturday morning.
“I thank you for that respect that you show every citizen, because how many of us have heard that expression, ‘You never get a second chance to make a first impression?'” Welch said. “And for so many of our citizens, this may be the first time – through their church, through their residential home – to be impacted by our students. You are showing them that respect that we are known for.”
Welch said students participating in the event represent A&M to the local community.
“I know that there are many citizens in this community that perhaps have lost a loved one,” Welch said. “All of the sudden they are facing that loneliness, and you are that individual that shows up and while you are there to serve you are serving in so many other ways that may be intangible. With that spirit that you show them, they may want to talk about when they had a loved one at A&M or what class that they graduated from, and you are impacting them in a way that we cannot put into words this morning.”
Kevin Brooks, The Big Event outreach executive, said he hopes the Aggies who participated left with a greater appreciation for the community members of Bryan-College Station and a greater love for the Texas A&M core value of selfless service.
“Texas A&M has the greatest student body in the world,” Brooks said. “This is proven through having the largest turn out for a service project in the world. We cannot thank the students, residents and administrators enough for all they have done to make this service project possible. Thank you all for everything.”