The B.I.G. Day 2013 - Continuing the Tradition!
IMAGINE THE IMPACT OF HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS SERVING AREA NON-PROFITS TOGETHER... Business Owners, Employees, Family Members, Neighbors, and Friends Giving Back For A Day!
Watch for upcoming information on B.I.G. Day 2014!
What is the B.I.G. Day?
“B.I.G.” stands for “Be involved, Give.” Created by the Chamber’s Non-Profit & Business Partnership Group, the goal is to have 500 Chamber members, their employees, family and friends spending a Saturday morning volunteering to make a difference in the community. It is an opportunity to focus attention on the hardworking non-profi t organizations that do great work in our community and give back to them by supporting them with service projects. We have organized dozens of service projects with dozens of area non-profi ts that can be completed in four hours or less. Projects that can make a difference to people and our community.
About the 2013 B.I.G. Day Event:
It was a day of giving and gratitude, sweat equity and camaraderie, dirty hands and warm smiles as the third annual B.I.G. Day (B.I.G. stands for Be Involved, Give) proved that community spirit is alive and very well in South Metro Denver. The Chamber’s Non-profit & Business Partnership lead by Steve Bocher of Catch Fire Marketing as Chair, and Laurian Horowitz of Colorado Life Lessons as Event Chair continued the community tradition. Although the turnout was smaller than last year's record-breaking event, the almost 337 volunteers were very motivated with some nonprofits having to create additional projects as the planned ones were accomplished in record time.
Activities ran the gamut from planting vegetables at Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, to building storage racks and organizing at SheShe’s Corner and planting trees and weeding at the Denver Botanic Gardens community garden. Medical supplies were sorted at Project CURE for shipment to 3rd world hospitals, and food boxes were packed at the Jeffco Action Center.
Thomas Messina of Mountaintop Acupuncture enjoyed getting dirty at Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield: "It was great getting into the dirt to plant onions, I would work in the garden on a regular basis. It's good to help the community. I want to thank the Chamber and everyone involved in making this happen.
The Audubon Society of Greater Denver got trails cleaned up and readied for the summer months, and volunteers accomplished spring cleaning at Boys Hope Girls Hope. Alternatives Pregnancy Center got their offices ship-shape in record time, and TLC Meals on Wheels of Littleton got must needed help with the preparation and delivery of meals to their elderly clients. South Suburban Parks got a sprucing up through the South Suburban Parks & Recreation Foundation volunteers while "spa boxes" were assembled for cancer patients at Spa 4 the Pink.
"I'm a firm believer in giving to the community and whatever we give always seems to come back ten-fold. It also just plain feels good! Wonderful program! Great people! Thanks for facilitating and coordinating such an incredible event! Kudos to Lauren, the committee and all the sponsors," stated Heidi Winter of European Wax Center who helped out at SheShe's Corner.
Many businesses and organizations came together and organized teams and groups of volunteers for the B.I.G. Day activities. CliftonLarsonAllen, InfoCubic, Webolutions, Silpada Designs, Leadapalooza Leads Group, The Leading Edge, Rotary Club of Littleton Sunrise, Catch Fire Marketing, Dream Catcher Affinity Group, American Heritage Girls, Sierra Ridge Networks, and NAMI Arapahoe/Douglas County all came out in force to make the day a success.
Brien Darby, Manager of the Denver Botanic Gardens community gardening program was thrilled with the experience. "I presented them with some very big tasks with a lot of digging and heavy lifting and they were just about the most enthusiastic group I have ever worked with! We completed all the tasks I had planned and even started on a few additional projects. I really appreciate the level of teamwork and “ready for anything” attitude that we consistently receive from volunteers participating in the BIG help day."
After all of the hard work, it was time to blow off some steam as many of the volunteers gathered at the Chamber Center to celebrate the day. With a delicious lunch buffet served by event sponsor McCormick & Schmick's, the group watched as Brian Olson of Conversation Starters had a video already prepared showing the day’s activities. The crowd gave a cheer of support for the B.I.G. Day and many expressed that this was just a beginning with many more hours of volunteer efforts were to come. Chamber Investor LokalMotion was also a sponsor of the event making it the best post-B.I.G. Day celebration yet.
Chamber Nonprofit and Business Partnership Chair Steve Bocher of Catch Fire Marketing thanked the B.I.G. Day Organizing Committee members: Chair Laurian Horowitz of Colorado Life Lessons, Brian Olson of Conversation Starters, and Sandy Coen of SheShe's Corner as well as all of the volunteers past and present. " ...while the official tally isn't in, you should take great pride in knowing that over the past three years 9,000-10,000 volunteer hours have been spent making our community a better, more prosperous place...and that thousands of lives have been touched because of the work that was accomplished during the B.I.G. Day. And also significant, thousands of people have been exposed to the great work of dozens of non-profits and many have stayed connected to these organizations and gone back to support them again!"
Businesses and Organizations Came Together for a Very B.I.G. Day!
|
“Definitely a great day! Everyone did an amazing job planning and pulling it off. We had a great day at the Audubon Center and worked with some wonderful volunteers!” Karl Brummert, Audubon Society of Greater Denver
"Thanks to more than 145 volunteers who committed their time to clean-up trash and debris along the Big Dry Creek and Mary Carter Greenway/South Platte River, the trails are sparkling clean!
The weather cooperated and volunteers of all ages spent the morning picking up bottles, cans, litter, and even shopping carts to beautify the community trails in our neighborhoods. After the hard work, we headed to the South Metro Chamber to celebrate the 3rd annual BIG day and enjoy a delicious lunch provided by McCormicks.
...great job! Thanks to all the outreach efforts, the South Suburban Park Foundation had a tremendous turn-out on the trail cleaning project. Thank you all for your time and effort on the marketing forthis event." Julie Madden, South Suburban Park Foundation
"The B.I.G. Day was a tremendous help to our organization! The volunteers did a month's worth of work in just a half day...they were incredible!" Sandy Coen, James Resource Network / SheShe's Corner
More photos and comments from the 2013 B.I.G. Day: http://www.meetup.com/bestchamber/events/62137522/
B.I.G. Day II Organizing Committee:
Laurian Horowitz, Colorado Life Lessons
Brian Olson, Conversation Starters Public Relations
Sandy Coen, James Resource Network and SheShe's Corner Boutique
