TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY
A day full of service and community assistance is right around the corner with the annual Bobcat Build’s Big Event on Saturday, March 28. This Texas State tradition is the university’s largest service project. Nearly 2,500 Bobcats come together and donate their time to engage in service projects throughout the community.
The school is currently seeking to assign students to ‘job sites’ around San Marcos. The project is open to the public in need of outdoor services such as painting, gardening, raking, window cleaning, limb cutting and more. Job sites can include residential homes, educational institutions, parks, places of worship, community organizations and green spaces.
“Bobcat Build’s Big Event impacts the San Marcos community because it shows that students at Texas State really do love this city and are thankful to be able to live here,” said Amaranta Lajoie, TXST student and Executive Director of Student Involvement.
“This past Big Event 2025, after we sent out volunteers to their job site, we had a group of volunteers finish earlier than expected. When they returned their tools they asked us, ‘Can we go to another job site?’ This eagerness to keep going and serve their community shows the impact that students want to have on this community,” Lajoie said.
This annual day of service has been a TXST tradition for more than 20 years, allowing students, staff and faculty to engage with the local community. The goal is not only to help its San Marcos neighbors but to bridge the gap between the university and the citizens of Hays county.
The day is organized by a team of students who are a part of the Leadership & Service arm of Student Involvement & Engagement.
The community is encouraged to submit requests for job sites. The team provides labor and tools but mulch, gravel and paint must be supplied by the resident or organization. Volunteers are only allowed to work outside of homes. Whether one needs help raking leaves, painting a fence, or general spring cleaning, this is an opportunity for those in need in the San Marcos to get some extra help by students eager to engage with the community.
“While our annual day of service is one day a year, our team works year-round to ensure both residents and volunteers have a day to remember,” TXST Student and Campus Engagement recruiter Kerianne Bellamy said. “We are here to help.”
To keep up with the Big Event, follow @txstleadserve on Instagram for updates, or email bigevent@ txst.edu with questions.
To sign up for a job site or to volunteer, visit the website at studentinvolvement. txst.edu/ls/ serve/bobcatbuild. html.
