When I first arrived at the University of North Dakota, I knew that one of the ways I wanted to connect with campus and the community of Grand Forks was by joining student organizations. As someone who was involved in many clubs during my high school years, I knew it was a great way to meet people and add meaning to my college experience. At the student organization fair, I stopped at many tables but struggled to find something that I was really excited about. Then, I saw the Big Event table. I decided to go over and see what “The Big Event” was, assuming that it was a club about event planning. I learned that it was so much more. The Big Event is a single-day volunteer event that is organized, marketed, and fundraised completely by UND students. Every year, hundreds of students, staff, and faculty make groups and go to designated work sites all around town, helping at senior citizens’ homes, churches, schools, and community spaces. Help can range from raking leaves to moving furniture or painting a wall, but the result was the same everywhere: making a positive impact on the lives of those who would not have been able to do these tasks otherwise. This event is our way of thanking the Grand Forks community for all they do for our campus as our host city. After learning about this organization’s need for committee members, I knew that this was the place for me, and I joined immediately. Even though it is just one day, it truly took a village to bring this event to life. From organizing job site requests and determining supplies needed to designing volunteer shirts and spreading the word through our social accounts, the entire committee came together with a joint mission and used their individual strengths to get the job done. Then, the fateful day had arrived. In short, it went off without a hitch. While volunteer numbers were lower compared to previous years due to some COVID restrictions still in place, our volunteers successfully completed tasks at all the work sites within 4 hours! In the days that followed, we received countless cards, emails, and voice messages from community members expressing gratitude and sharing stories about the volunteers, who took time to get to know the community members while doing their tasks. Being there from the beginning of the year to the end of the event, I felt a deep sense of pride knowing what one day’s work could do for this town and the people in it, and I was more than excited to be involved again. This will be my fourth year being a part of the BIG Event committee. Each year, I am reminded just how much this event means to the community as well as how much it means to me. It connects people who wouldn’t have met otherwise, and it unites the student body through the act of giving back and choosing kindness. I cannot begin to imagine how different my college experience would have been without this organization, and I am glad that I do not have to because it has truly been the most impactful decision I have made outside of my career aspirations. I hope that after I graduate, I will be able to find a similar opportunity wherever I end up.