The community will once again come together to improve Commerce for the Ninth annual Big Event, which will be held on Saturday, March 31 with participants improving various areas around the town and university.
“It [The Big Event] is about the city and the university coming together,” Barbara Kersey, manager of the Commerce Chamber of Commerce said.
The Big Event originated because of a similar event that is held at Texas A&M University in College Station and was conceived in 1999 by Dr. Paul Zelhart and Jim Bob Latham, who are co-chairs for the event, Kersey said.
The day will include many activities including all of the service projects that university students and Commerce residents will tackle and a stew luncheon provided by the Masonic Lodge that will be served in the City Park between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Entertainment will also be provided during the lunch.
“We expect to serve about 200 people during the event,” Kersey commented.
“We are also placing several bricks in the Author’s Walk that day,” Kersey said.
The antique bricks are donated by the city and the Matthews from Cooper marble and granite works are donating the engravings of nominated local author names.
One other part of The Big Event is that Commerce residents will be able to get rid of hazardous materials that cannot be taken to a normal dumpster.
“The county barn will be accepting dangerous items between 8 a.m. until 1p.m. so that residents can clean out garages properly,” Kersey said.
Accepted items will include paint, household chemicals, batteries, car tires and scrap metal.
The fire department will once again be installing fire detectors free of charge in homes that need them.
The university will also be helping out with the event providing students with the opportunity to get involved within the community.
“So far we have 85 students signed up for the event and we have room for more,” Emily Shipman, A&M-Commerce coordinator of student organizations said.
University organizations such as Phi Theta Kappa, the Golden Leos, First Year Leadership Class and Omega Delta Phi have volunteered to be a part of The Big Event and will be picking up trash, planting flowers, painting lamp posts and working at The Northeast Texas Children’s museum, Shipman said.
“All service clubs, student organizations, church groups, business and industrial groups are invited to participate,” Shipman said.
Individual students who are not part of a group or organization are also encouraged to sign up to be part of The Big Event.
“We have quite a few individual students who have signed up to be a part of this day,” Shipman said. “We have five graduate students from India who are excited to be part of this community event.”
Thsoe students who are not part of a group or organization are not required to fund the projects and just have to show up and participate.
Several students in the past have helped at The Children’s Museum to make puppets and help out with children’s events as well as particpating in making the A&M-Commerce campus more beautiful.
Participants are asked to develop projects, submit the projects to the Chamber and organize the workers and the resources as well as carrying out the project, Kersey commented.
“Participants are responsible for funding their own projects,” Kersey said. “The projects can be anything to improve the safety, appearance or the facilities of Commerce, and must be completed within one day.”
Anyone who is interested in volunteering for The Big Event can contact the Chamber of Commerce located at 1114 Main Street. Applications for project proposals can be picked up at the Chamber as well.
University students can contact Emily Shipman at 903-886-5793 for more information. The deadline is March 27.