Key Points
- FSU, FAMU and Tallahassee State College students will take part in The Big Event this February, working with Sleep in Heavenly Peace to build 300 beds for children in need. Organizers are seeking 500 volunteers for the Feb. 20 event.
- Seven Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapters across Florida and Georgia will distribute the beds in their communities, while The Big Event aims to raise $50,000 and secure business sponsors.
Florida State University students will join students from Florida A&M University and Tallahassee State College in an ambitious effort to build 300 beds for children in need as The Big Event Tallahassee (TBE) celebrates its 20th anniversary.
The project, a new addition to the annual student-led community service event, is a partnership with Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), a national nonprofit that provides free beds to children who otherwise might sleep on the floor, a sofa or an air mattress. Organizers hope to recruit 500 student volunteers for the Feb. 20 event on FSU’s campus. The SHP Tallahassee chapter has provided beds for children in Leon County and surrounding counties since 2018.
SHP estimates that each bed costs $400 to build, including lumber, a mattress, sheets and pillows to ensure the beds are ready to be slept in as soon as they are delivered. To support the project, TBE is working to raise $50,000.
FSU’s Interfraternity Council is participating in the fundraising efforts, with most chapters creating a Spark page to receive donations in support of the project. In addition, The Big Event Tallahassee is seeking businesses to sponsor the event as well as individual community members who would like to donate to help build as many beds as possible.
“I am excited about this collaboration because it allows us to exponentially broaden our reach, both in engaging more student volunteers and serving more communities,” said Jake Salem, executive director of The Big Event Tallahassee. “This project will be especially impactful for the families and children who receive these newly built beds. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Big Event in Tallahassee, our team and volunteers are excited to embrace this opportunity to expand our impact and continue giving back to the communities that have supported us over the years.”
SHP Tallahassee recruited other chapters across Florida and Georgia to participate in this build and now the Tampa, Fort Walton Beach, Jacksonville, Albany, Augusta and Savannah chapters are a part of the project. In total, seven SHP chapters will be involved in the build, with the Tallahassee chapter distributing a portion of the beds that are built to children in Leon County and surrounding communities.
The other six chapters will help facilitate the build and will each take beds back to their communities for distribution, allowing the impact of The Big Event to extend beyond Tallahassee and into communities across Florida and southern Georgia.
To make a donation visit The Big Event’s Spark page. Businesses interested in sponsoring this event should contact Jake Salem, executive director of The Big Event Tallahassee, at thebigevent.director@gmail.com.
About The Big Event Tallahassee
The Big Event Tallahassee is a registered student organization and serves as the largest student-run service initiative in Tallahassee. The Big Event Tallahassee provides FSU, FAMU and TSC students with the opportunity to show appreciation to the local community through service projects such as yard work, window washing and painting. This tradition started at Texas A&M University in 1982 and now students at colleges and universities around the nation come together to say ‘thank you’ to the residents of their college town. To learn more about The Big Event Tallahassee, visit thebigevent.fsu.edu.