By RORY MOORE
Tiger Media Network
For the 14th year, Fort Hays State University participated in the Big Event Day of Service for students, who assisted in various tasks across Hays to serve the community on and off campus. The volunteer projects were divided into two slots from 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:00 p.m., taking place at the main campus, Victor E. Garden, 41st St, Holy Family Elementary School, the University Farm, Hays Area Children’s Center, 1105 Country Club and the Ellis County Historical Society.
The FHSU Student Government Association helped organize the event and found volunteer projects through Public Relations Director Brenna Schwien.
“From each campus, it’s going to look a little different,” she said. “On other campuses, it’s not organized by their SGAs and specific people who do that. For us, we run it through SGA, and we reach out to our community and see what projects they need.”
Bob Duffy instructs students on their work on Victor E. Garden. 
Jonathan Rehmert pulls weeds out of a flower bed. 
The Big Event Day of Service takes place at Fort Hays across various spots on and off campus. 
Lorenzo Gomez mows the grass on the garden. 
The first slot on the garden works to beautify the area before rotating with other students for the afternoon slot. 
The Department of Agriculture provided the task of scraping and painting the fence at the Sheep Division facility. 
Shaelin Giersch and Hannah Swearingen scrape the fence on the University Farm. 
Kassandra Salazar paints a safety pole alongside the playground of Holy Family Elementary School. 
Volunteers grab food in-between slots. 
Abby Robles makes a wristband for Jana’s Jewelry. 
Student volunteers clear out, reorganize and clean unused shop for the Ellis County Historical Society. 
Parker Opat carries a piece of plexiglass.
The Big Event Day of Service is a yearly tradition practiced by schools to instill values in students who perform community service.
“This whole day is about giving back to our community and campus in different ways,” Schwien said. “I believe all our students will take that with them for the rest of the year and into next year when we get to host the fifteenth one.”
One project involved students who tended to Victor E. Garden by mowing, pulling weeds and preparing flower beds to beautify the area.
“It teaches students to work with their hands and show where their food is coming from,” Garden Student Assistant Robert Bennet said. “It helps them understand farmers better and shows we’re here for the community and them.”
Holy Family Elementary had students scrape and paint safety poles alongside its playground, which some did to fulfill academic credits.
“I needed to get my community service hours in for AOG and my sorority,” freshman Kassandra Salazar said. “I think it’ll make a difference because I’m networking as well. Being able to meet people here is a new way of networking with the community, and it’s always nice to give back to them.”
The Department of Agriculture tasked students with scraping and painting the fence at the Sheep division facility on the University Farm, allowing them to connect and enjoy each other’s company.
“As students, you get to come out here, learn, and get that hands-on learning with livestock production and crops,” Agricultural Specialist Gene Hanson said. “Having these service members come out here and paint the fences helps maintain our facilities and keep students wanting to come here for future generations.”
Hanson, who manages the daily operations at the farm, felt that the Big Event reflected how the university instills values in current and former students.
“I graduated from Fort Hays,” he said. “To be able to come back, take a full-time position like this, and give back to the university is something else. I think it goes to show what Fort Hays truly is.”