Growing for the Future: 5th Annual Small Event Saturday, Nov. 7     

Not even a pandemic can stop the Aggie spirit or our students’ drive to plant and grow our core values. The Small Event, an annual fall student-centric service project, is planned for this Saturday, Nov. 7 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m on the Texas A&M University at Galveston campus. 

Per its name, the Small Event is a smaller-scale version of the Big Event, Texas A&M University’s annual one-day, springtime student-run community service outreach event. According to Texas A&M-Galveston Big Event Committee Director and marine engineering student Jake Reid ‘21, over 50 Aggie by the Sea students are ready to come out and support the community and campus by planting 100 trees Saturday morning. 

The trees were generously donated by the Apache Corporation via the organization's tree grant program. Reid says he’s excited to see students get involved with beautifying the grounds of Texas A&M-Galveston for the good of the campus, knowing their efforts will also benefit future students, faculty and staff for years to come. 

“I just really like Galveston and want to help make campus and the community better in any way we can,” Reid said. “It’s been tough this year, but we still really wanted to make something happen, so I’m encouraged by the turnout we’re on track to have.”

Student volunteers are to check in at the gazebo near the volleyball courts from 8 to 8:30 a.m. where they’ll receive a breakfast sandwich from Chartwells, an event T-shirt and their group assignments for the day. The three groups will be assigned to a handful of locations on campus and behind the Texas A&M Maritime Academy Hall where they’ll inter the trees and add topsoil to holes strategically prepared in advance by our campus grounds team. 

Student Development Specialist II and Big Event Staff Advisor Taylor Kemp says he’s especially proud of Reid and his dedicated group this year, considering the challenges and setbacks they’ve faced due to the pandemic.

“Big Event was canceled in March, but these students are determined to get involved and help out wherever and however they can. Small Event will be a good practice session for Big Event, too, which they’re preparing for now that we kind of know how we can safely participate,” Kemp said. 

Reid says the donated trees are live oaks, Southern hackberry and Leyland cypress species.