Committees

The Big Event at Virginia Tech is an extraordinary way to give back to the community and exemplifies the university motto of Ut Prosim (That I may serve). Hosting one of the largest service events in the nation takes a lot of preparation and work, we hope you choose to help us make this upcoming event the biggest and best yet.

The Big Event will be held on Saturday, April 5, 2025.

Application information can be found on GobblerConnect. Contact stafftbe@vt.edu with any questions or concerns.

The Big Event Team

Advisors - tonytrimpe@vt.edu and jettls24@vt.edu

Tony Trimpe (Engagement Coordinator) and Jett Sable (Assistant Director for Civic Leadership)

The Big Event is a University Charter Student Organization (UCSO) that is advised by VT Engage: The Center for Leadership & Service Learning. Advisors guide and mentor the student Director team in managing the organization to provide thoughtful leadership and community engagement practices as well as provide university support for all activities. This team ensures students adhere to university policies, risk management, financial management, and acts as day-of support.

Directors - directortbe@vt.edu

Christina Casey and Ryan Rupert

The Directors are responsible for working with all committees to ensure the success of The Big Event.

Fundraising and Finance - financetbe@vt.edu

Ben Cristi and Matty Zincone

The fundraising committee raises the funds necessary to make the Big Event possible by working with local and corporate sources. Some of the ways to raise funds include organizing profit-sharing days, donations from alumni, homeowners, residents, and coordinating smaller fundraisers. This committee dedicates roughly 2 hours/week to the Big Event.

Internal Relations - stafftbe@vt.edu

Tess Butler and Porter Malone

The internal relations committee is all about creating a welcoming, fun, and exciting atmosphere for all those involved with The Big Event. Their job is to facilitate a student-run group that is as excited to say “Thank You” to our community as we are. IR works towards planning events, programs, and implementing new ideas to make your experience on our team the most rewarding and exciting as it can be. Committee members are responsible for helping plan/facilitate bonding events and team building activites. The time commitment for this committee will be about 1-4 hours per week to help with all our activities.

Programming - programstbe@vt.edu

Sam DeLisle, Beth Morris, and Emme Williams

The programming committee has the biggest responsibility on the day of the Big Event. They are responsible for the schedule of events and setup/layout of the Drillfield on the day of. They work with sponsors, performers, and university officials to create an engaging experience for the volunteers. Their responsibilities include the set-up and dismantling of tool distribution, handing out t-shirts to volunteers, tool return, transportation, and all details/coordination efforts on/for the day of. By doing so you get to be a part of making this year the best Big Event ever! Time commitment will be 2 hours a week in the spring semester, but more time consuming leading up to the day of the Big Event and will require a dedication of 8 hours or more during the week of The Big Event.

Projects - projectstbe@vt.edu

Jacob Cole, Shaila Papadakos, and Grace Vaughn Sacks

The projects committee is responsible for getting homeowners to submit a project request for their residence or business and to facilitate the project check process. They are one of the bigger committees so you will have a large group of people to bond with and make The Big Event family your own! The time commitment for the projects committee is around 3-5 hours a week for spring semester.

Public Relations - commstbe@vt.edu

Loren Cox and Gianna Pantano

The public relations committee facilitates communications both internally among students and externally with residents using an array of programs and sources. They are also in charge of running social media accounts for the Big Event, serving as the point of contact for all things Big Event. They attend many functions related to the Big Event to get content and remain involved. During the fall semester committee members can expect to dedicate 1-2 hour(s) per week, and during the spring semester about 2-4 hours per week.

Student Outreach - volunteertbe@vt.edu

Chris Harper, Ciara Moore and Elisabeth Wasserman

The student outreach committee focuses primarily on recruiting the student body to volunteer for The Big Event. As a committee member you will present to classes and school organizations plus run marketing booths to gather volunteers to support our homeowner projects. Members from all committees also come together to check the homeowner properties each week in the Spring, providing the opportunity to meet other staff members! Committee members can expect to dedicate 2 hours per week in the spring and extra hours the week before the big day. In this role you will have the opportunity to develop your marketing and public speaking skills. You will thrive on this committee by demonstrating your enthusiasm and passion for The Big Event!

Technology and Analytics - techtbe@vt.edu

Sydney Fromm

The technology and analytics committee is responsible for maintaining The Big Event websites as well as analyzing collected data and notifying the team of important trends that will allow them to work the most efficiently. Committee Members can expect to dedicate around 1 hour per week for both semesters.

Operations (Ops) Team - stafftbe@vt.edu

The operations team is responsible for helping to complete project checks throughout the spring semester, working marketing booth shifts, and helping with any last-minute preparations during the week of The Big Event. They are crucial to the success of The Big Event. This team is less of a time commitment than the committees and is a great way to meet new people, improve professional communication, and experience the area and people surrounding the Virginia Tech campus.

^*Note: Members of all committees will participate in project checks once a week to help ensure the safety of all our volunteers on the day of!