Points Of Lights Honors Big Event

“Big Event,” Texas A&M University’s community service project that is the largest of its type in the nation, was a big winner Friday in the awards portion of the Points of Light Institute program at which President Barack Obama was the keynote speaker.

The Big Event’s “Points of Light Award” was formally presented to Mallory Myers, who is serving as director for the community-wide project this year. She is a junior political science major from Granbury and is in her third year of Big Event service.

President Obama personally commended Myers in noting “it is an honor to be here at this outstanding university.”

“I want to congratulate Mallory Myers and commend her for her tireless work in pulling together Big Event….no small task,” he said. “I know this is one of countless ways Texas A&M is performing selfless service, and I know that is why President (George H. W.) Bush chose this outstanding university for his library.”

He was joined on the stage by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, formerly president of Texas A&M.

In presenting the award to Myers, Points of Light CEO Michelle Dunn and Board Chair Neil Bush noted she is also performing other volunteer service, including mentoring a child – all while leading the Big Event.

Points of Light, which promotes community service nationwide, was founded 20 years ago by Former President Bush, who hosted the group’s meeting this year and personally invited President Obama. Public service is also a priority for President Obama.

President Bush chose to host Points of Light at Texas A&M because of its history of service and by virtue of the university being home to his library and museum.

“I honestly could not imagine a better place to invite our president than here,” said Former President Bush. “I salute Mallory Myers and Big Event, a wonderful program exemplifying selfless service, as does the entire student body of Texas A&M. I’m proud that our Bush School stands ready to fill the need for those who can work in public service.”

Texas A&M Interim President R. Bowen Loftin said the Big Event recognition is “special” – and even more so at this particular time.

“We are doubly honored, to have President Obama visit Texas A&M and to have such grand recognition paid to Big Event – our student-run program that has meant so much to our community for more than a decade – and to the thousands of Aggies who have participated in it,” Loftin said. “Big Event personifies one of our core values – selfless service.”

Loftin said it is also “highly appropriate” that the award come from the organization that President Bush founded – and with him present when it was presented to Ms. Myers. He noted that in recent years President and Mrs. Bush have personally helped kick off Big Event activities on the designated Saturday in late March.

Big Event, which is sponsored by Texas A&M Student Government, typically each year involves more than 13,000 students who volunteer to take on more than 1,300 clean-up and fix-up projects in the Bryan-College Station area.

It is the largest one-day collegiate community service endeavor in the nation and has served as the model for approximately 70 similar programs at other colleges and universities throughout the nation. None, however, rivals it in size or scope, organizers say.

It began unceremoniously in 1982 with six Aggies volunteering to clean up a local cemetery. Since that time, an ever-increasing number of Aggies have volunteered their time in order to create, as they say, “one big day, one big thanks and one Big Event.”

Aggies have provided more than a half-million hours of community service over Big Events’ 27-year history, organizers estimate. Throughout each year, the students work and hold fund-raising events to be able to buy tools and supplies to carry out their projects.