Service projects like The Big Event and Keep Opelika Beautiful may only be for one day, but their impact is lasting throughout the year.
Adria Zellmer, 40, has worked in the Auburn University community since 2006 and learned about The Big Event only a year ago after reading the Auburn City Water Board newsletter.
Zellmer became more informed of the one-day service project after speaking with members of FarmHouse fraternity where she works.
The Big Event seemed especially enticing to Zellmer, who had recently bought a house in Auburn and was in desperate need for helping hands.
"My husband had broken his hand and had surgery; we were not able to do much of anything that a new house needed doing. I was trying to do it all myself," Zellmer said.
"Next thing I knew, we signed up for The Big Event, and I had 27 people show up at my house."
Volunteers helped with tasks including rerouting TV and computer cables, raking the yard and repainting rooms and shutters.
By the end of the day, the 27 volunteers had truly transformed Zellmer's house into the home of her dreams.
"I was the envy of the neighborhood," Zellmer said.
"I had every neighbor coming over to introduce themselves and wanted to know, 'Who were all these guys at your house working and how did that happen?'"
Soon, all of Zellmer's friends and neighbors were talking about The Big Event's visible impact on the Auburn community.
Zellmer said although the volunteer project only lasts for one day, the work that goes into the project is phenomenal enough to make a lasting difference on the community year-round.
"It was a blessed event for us," she said. "They took an unmeasurable amount of pressure off our shoulders in one day."
Zellmer said she would love to see The Big Event happen twice a year, "But when you say twice a year we're into football season, and you're not gonna get me to stay at home if there's a football game going on," Zellmer joked.
The Big Event will be held March 26 this year.
Opelika High School is one of the many organizations that has become involved with Keep Opelika Beautiful, a one-day event focused on cleaning the city of Opelika.
This year the event took place March 5, and OHS students spent the day picking up garbage around their own campus.
"A lot of other adult groups canceled for the day, but we had approximately 100 students and advisers show up, even in the rain and the cold," said Donna Williamson, OHS activity director. "They could have been excused on Saturday because of the weather, but they came anyway."
Williamson said the service project helped the students learn the importance of keeping their city a clean and friendly place not just once a year, but all year long.
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