Bronchos in Action: UCO Students Serve Local Communities at Big Event
April 16, 2025
University of Central Oklahoma students made a big impact during this year’s Big Event, the university’s largest student-led day of service. With more than 500 volunteers participating, teams spread out across 35 worksites throughout Edmond and the Oklahoma City metro to give back to the community through service.
UCO’s Big Event allows students to say “thank you” to the surrounding community through hands-on volunteer work. From painting and landscaping to litter and general clean-up, students tackled small but meaningful projects for local homeowners, nonprofits, schools and churches—all within 20 miles of the Edmond campus.
“Big Event allows us to truly see the heart of what we do. In these moments, the long hours, the planning and the behind-the-scenes work all come to life. We get to witness our service's impact—not just in a practical sense, but in how it touches people emotionally,” said Madison Fischer, student executive director of Big Event.
“Seeing the joy on their faces, the gratitude in their eyes and knowing that, in some small way, we helped create that—that’s incredibly powerful. It reminds me why I do this work in the first place. It’s more than just an event—it’s a chance to connect, to give back and to be part of something meaningful that leaves a lasting impression on everyone involved.”
Central’s Big Event allows students to participate in community engagement by giving back to the community through service. Additionally, students may apply to serve as team leaders, giving them the option to serve as the lead for an assigned site in the community. Team leaders oversee communication with assigned site volunteers, coordination of site the day of the event and tool/supply pick up and drop off and develop their leadership skills.
Volunteer locations included the HOPE Center of Edmond, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, City Care, Twin Cedars Campgrounds, the Edmond YMCAs, OKC Ballet, the Redbud Classic and many local residences and organizations.
The UCO Office of Community Engagement, which oversees Big Event, empowers students to become active citizens and develop a responsibility to their communities through service and volunteerism, community partnerships and connections, intentional learning opportunities, and a focus on civic engagement and critical societal issues.
For more information about community engagement at UCO and Big Event, visit uco.edu/ce.
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Cutline: More than 500 volunteers visited 35 worksites across Edmond and the Oklahoma City metro to say “thank you” through acts of service during the University of Central Oklahoma’s annual Big Event. Pictured, a UCO student volunteering by stocking shelves with nonperishable food items during Big Event.
