The BIG Event

The BIG Event is a nationally recognized day of service celebrated by the UNT community. Each spring, volunteers contribute over 10,000 hours of service in over 7 cities in Denton County. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and student organizations are all welcome to participate.

Thank you for participating in The Big Event 2026!

 

Save the Date: Saturday, April 3rd, 2027

Join the thousands of UNT Eagles as we join together in helping our community. 

Register to participate

Want to Make a Difference? Register your student organization or group to participate in The Big Event! If you are faculty, staff, or a student who is not a member of a student organization, register by clicking on the Individual button.  Registration is currently closed.

This year, we invite alumni across Texas and beyond to join the effort—commit to a Day of Service wherever you are and help expand the Mean Green impact into your own community. If you are a UNT alum, register by clicking the Alumni button below.  The Denton site and all other alumni network site registrations are currently closed.


Register to host a site

About Hosting a Site
The BIG Event is seeking community organizations to host volunteers. If you would like to host a team of UNT students, staff, and alumni volunteers to help with your organization please click below to register to host volunteers
Registration to host a site is closed.


Become an Executive Board Member for The Big Event 

Applications for the 2026–2027 Executive Board positions for The Big Event will open on May 1st and close at 11:59 p.m. on June 7th. For questions regarding the application, please contact Alonzo Burris at Alonzo.Burris@unt.edu. 

Join a committee

The BIG Event success relies on the passionate members who help with event planning and execution, recruitment, and other programming throughout the year leading up to the main events.
Our committee meets every Tuesday at 5:30pm in Union 412. 

 

Students from big event

 

The BIG Event 2026
Scrappy mascot with 4 people
The BIG Event 2025
two people with eagle claw hand gesture
The BIG Event 2024
three people around soil and a barrel
The BIG Event 2023
two people holding big event buttons

What does a typical volunteer project do?

A typical volunteer project done during BIG Event can vary greatly from one job site to another. Currently all of our projects are with non-profits in the Denton County area. We ask that the job be safe and appropriate for our volunteers. Volunteer projects have included planting flower beds, cleaning up lake areas, helping in community gardens, running activities and games for children during carnivals, road clean ups, beautification projects, or working with animals. The volunteer opportunities are endless. Please contact us if you have any concerns about your project at student.activities@unt.edu

We hope that the connections formed during The BIG Event can lead to more opportunities for the students to serve their community in the future. Some students and organizations will stay in touch with their community partner and continue to volunteer with them after the event.

Day of Event:

Check-In, Kick Off, and Breakfast: 7:00am
Project Starts: 9:00am
Project Completion: 12:00pm

Frequently asked questions:

What if some of our organization members can no longer attend?

Please notify The Big Event team as soon as possible so project assignments can be adjusted accordingly.

What is a site leader?

Site leaders are someone who serve as the primary contact for a volunteer group and is responsible for communicating event information to their volunteers, checking in, and serving as the main contact for staff on the day of the event.

What should I wear?
Wear comfortable clothing, closed-toe shoes suitable for outdoor activities. If your site requires specific attire, we will communicate that to your site leader.
Will transportation be provided?
Participants are responsible for their own transportation getting to and from the site. You can ask others going to your site for options if you need a ride.
What should I bring?
Bring a reusable water bottle, sunscreen, hat, or sunglasses if you are outdoors. Please make sure you bring your phone to check-in at your site if you do not attend the Kickoff Celebration.
How can my student organization hear about other community service projects?
Sign up for the Registered Student Organization Volunteer Listserv; as we receive opportunities for community service, we will email those opportunities to your organization's representative.
How many volunteers can we request?

Community partners can request as many volunteers as needed. We ask for a minimum of 5, but the maximum can vary.
We do want our partners to note that we sometimes add a few more students over the maximum to aid if volunteers do not show. For example: If a community partner asks for 35 volunteers we will send 40.

What does a community partner site need to provide?

Our community partners must be able to provide supplies for their projects. Our volunteers would also appreciate an orientation over your agency and assigned project. It's helpful if they are able to supply water and a bathroom for our volunteers.

Can I request a specific group?

If the opportunity is available we try our best to make those matches. Please contact us, and we will be happy to work with you.

We can't host a site during Big Event can we have it on another day?

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee volunteers on other days other than BIG Event. If you have an upcoming project let us know, and we will be more than happy to send your project out through our RSO Listserv. 
If the opportunity is available we try our best to make those matches. Please contact us, and we will be happy to work with you.
You can also register as a community partner for Make A Difference Day.