Big Event volunteers build bridges with Chadron community

Photos by Mackenzie Dahlberg

The Chicoine Center hadn’t been full in months when about 400 volunteers gathered there Saturday to participate in The Big Event. Rain or shine, they were prepared to dig in and get dirty to help the Chadron community.  

And that’s exactly what they did. 

“At some places it was still possible, yardwork, painting, fixing fences, trash clean up, maybe some sweeping, dusting,” Kaci Waugh, a communication graduate student tasked with helping with The Big Event, said. “Snow removal, some would do that. I know some indoor job sites had different tasks like vacuuming cleaning or cleaning chairs, sorting, and organizing. Just different tasks like that.” 

Due to the recent bouts of snowfall, the number of jobsites that volunteers would be working at went from 50 to 25.  

“I think we were still able to make a really positive impact and I don’t think its hurt our volunteer’s experience in anyway,” Waugh said. “If anything, we are a little disappointed that we couldn’t get out to some of those job sites that we typically are able to serve and some of our reoccurring people who we missed last year and would just like to see again, but I really don’t think it negatively impacted any of our volunteer’s experience or the day in general.” 

This year, Nebraska State College System Chancellor Paul Turman was able to pitch in and volunteer. He had been invited for the past three years but because of weather and the pandemic, he was unable to make the trip across Nebraska. 

“We’re really excited to have him and we know that he obviously values community service and things like that so it was right in line with The Big Event,” Waugh said. “I also think it was a great opportunity for him to see a mixture of students, faculty, staff, community, administrators, all of those things that make up our little campus and college community.” 

Many of the students that volunteered were freshmen, Communication Associate Professor and adviser to The Big Event Shaunda French-Collins said.  

Alexa Shald, 18, freshman of O’Neill, was one of those students. 

“From helping at the Big Event, I took away the importance of giving back to the community,” Shald said. Volunteering is very important to me. I would like to make it a regular thing for myself.” 

Shald had planned on joining on volunteering on her own, however, she ended up joining the Health Professions Club when she found out they would be helping out. Shald said she enjoyed getting the chance to meet new people while also helping out the community.  

A large part of The Big Event is bringing CSC students and staff together to help give back to the Chadron community. Dalton Holst, 23, senior of Gillette, Wyoming, usually leads his team on the football field. On Saturday, though, he spent the day working alongside his fellow football players. 

“The work goes by faster and the camaraderie is better than doing work by yourself,” Holst said. “Volunteering as a team brings you closer together and allows the team to give back to the community. No one person or team is above helping and giving back. It is such as small task and small portion out of our lives to thank the community and town for all that they do for college students. Being grateful for such a welcoming and warm town like Chadron is something I will always take away from the Big Event.” 

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much,” Waugh said. “I really hope that everybody enjoyed their experience and got something out of it that was positive, whether that was meeting more community members that they’ve never meet or just seeing those faces that support the college and are here for us throughout the year. I’m just really grateful that so many people were patient and helpful and that attendance was so good with even the challenges we faced. Thank you and we hope that you will become involved with the big event in future years.”