Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) students, faculty, staff and alumni will roll up their sleeves for a day of service to their community as part of their annual commemoration of “The Big Event.”
Now in its 16th year, the National Day of Service will be held on Saturday, March 22, 2025. Joining TAMIU for the event for the first time will be Laredo College students.
Volunteers will traverse several locations across the city, including the Haynes Recreation Center, Arturo Benavides Park, and Slaughter Park.
Beautification projects will include tree planting, mural painting, trash pick-up, seed ball planting, tending to a Monarch butterfly garden, brush removal, and more.
The event is open to the entire TAMIU community, including students, staff, faculty and alumni. To sign up to volunteer, visit https://go.tamiu.edu/maddandtbe.
Volunteers are asked to check in at the University’s Student Center before being bussed to their respective volunteer areas. Transportation to and from the event will be provided. A total of 40 community service hours credit and lunch will be provided. Volunteers are asked to wear long-sleeved shirts, jeans, and closed-toe shoes.
The event is made possible through the University Office of Student Conduct and Community Engagement, in collaboration with the University’s Student Government Association (SGA) Leaders Organizing Volunteer Events (L.O.V.E.) Committee, the City of Laredo, Keep Laredo Beautiful, the University’s Housing and Residence Life, the Rio Grande International Study Center, ARCA Continental Southwest Beverages, and Laredo College.
Since its launch in 2009, The Big Event has posted some record-breaking feats, with 3,234 volunteers generating a $1.6+M monetary impact to the community through a combined 65,729 community service hours.
Organizers took their inspiration from Texas A&M University in College Station, the founding home of The Big Event. TAMIU’s annual event unites volunteers each spring through a service endeavor that has included projects like painting, yard maintenance, and litter cleanup, among other service-themed activities.
Past The Big Event volunteer opportunities have taken place at North Central Park, Las Palmas Nature Trail, and Los Tres Laredos Park, the Santo Niño Neighborhood, the Laredo Housing Authority, the South Texas Food Bank, Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center, Slaughter Park, and more. For a look back at past events, visit https://go.tamiu.edu/serve.
For more information, contact the Office of Student Conduct and Community Engagement at 956.326.2265, email scce@tamiu.edu, or visit offices in the Student Center, room 226.
