The Big Event | Nebraska

The Big Event
Saturday, October 24, 2026

One Big Day to Give One Big Thanks.

Through service-oriented activities, students come together for one day to express their gratitude for the support from the surrounding Lincoln community and to promote campus and community unity.

Homeowners and Nonprofits can propose a 1- to 3-hour in-person project for volunteers to help them complete.

Volunteers can sign up as individuals or as a member of a group. 700 students, staff, and faculty are needed on Oct 24.

Questions? Send a message to bigevent@unl.edu.

Let's get you signed up

Registration opens August 1, 2026

I'm a homeowner / nonprofit with a project I want to volunteer

Apply for TBE Operations Team

Students Only

Operations Team is a select group of dedicated student volunteers who work alongside the two TBE Co-Chairs to organize and manage The Big Event in its entirety.

Operation Team members are essential to the success of The Big Event.

You should be task-oriented; adaptable; demonstrate personal initiative; and be 100% dedicated to the aim of The Big Event.

Apply Now

0% Committed to Volunteer

XXXX student volunteers are needed for October 24, 2026.

Student organizations and campus groups are committed to filling all those spots.

Thank you to the organizations and individuals who pledged to volunteer.

Groups and RSOs committed for Fall 2026

~ Group and Organizations to be announced soon ~

Pi Kappa Alpha’s Cole Geer paints the exterior of a garage during the Big Event. May 4, 2024. Photo by Kirk Rangel for University Communication.

Delta Phi Fraternity members Quinny Brumbaugh and Dominik Kluthe rake leaves in a homeowner’s front lawn during the Big Event. May 4, 2024. Photo by Kirk Rangel for University Communication.

The Big Event is an annual single-day-of-service benefiting local nonprofits and residents in the greater Lincoln community. Volunteers helped clean up private properties, residences, and local parks. May 4, 2024. Photo by Kylie Galvin / Office of Student Affairs.

Tyson Shields (left) and Samuel Ingledue (right), members of Delta Phi Fraternity go to work at planting a fairy garden during the Big Event. May 4, 2024. Photo by Kirk Rangel for University Communication.

Alpha Chi Omega spend time with one of the giraffes at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo while working there. The Big Event is organized annually by the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska (ASUN). Since 2006, more than 37,500 students at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln have completed 1,687,500 volunteer hours during The Big Event. April 23, 2022. Photo by Dillon Galloway / University Communication.

Phi Mu celebrates the completion of their Big Event volunteer work. The Big Event is organized annually by the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska (ASUN). Since 2006, more than 37,500 students at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln have completed 1,687,500 volunteer hours during The Big Event. The Big Event April 23, 2022. Photo by Dillon Galloway / University Communication.

Delta Phi Fraternity’s Ben Huffer and Quinny Brumbaugh, clear away leaves and debris from a homeowner’s decorated garden during the Big Event. May 4, 2024. Photo by Kirk Rangel for University Communication.

Members of Delta Phi Fraternity plant a fairy garden during the Big Event on Saturday, May 4, 2024. Photo by Kirk Rangel for University Communication.

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About The Big Event

Since its introduction in 2006, The Big Event at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln has become the largest, one-day, student-run service project in the state of Nebraska.

The Big Event promotes campus and community unity as thousands of UNL students come together to say “Thank You” and express gratitude to the residents and nonprofits of Lincoln and Lancaster County.

Learn More

The Big Event is an initiative of ASUN Student Government.