For most, WKU’s M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan (Making Academic and Social Transitions Educationally Rewarding) offers incoming students an opportunity to acclimate to their new life and home in Bowling Green. For others it offers a chance to give back to a community that they will be a part of for at least the next four years.

WKU A.L.I.V.E. (A Local Information and Volunteer Exchange) CCP, in collaboration with WKU Housing and Residence Life will put on the 2015 Big Red’s Blitz day of service on Thursday, August 20.

This marks the 11^th straight year WKU Alive and HRL have hosted the event that focuses on WKU students getting involved in positively affecting the Bowling Green Community.

Aurelia Spaulding, Communications and Marketing Coordinator at WKU Alive said the aim of the single day project mirrors the goals of the Alive organization as a whole.

“Big Red’s Blitz day of service in an opportunity to help nonprofit organizations fill some of their needs that day in terms of volunteer service, and getting any work done that they otherwise wouldn’t have had the manpower to do,” Spaulding said. “But it also gives students the opportunity to impact the community around them and really work in areas they are interested in, what they are passionate about, and really get them started in being more involved throughout their four years of college.”

Big Red’s Blitz day of service is held in collaboration with Master Plan in an attempt to reach first year freshman students and get them involved with service early in their college careers.  While the WKU Alive channels freshman for this specific event, their broader demographic is all those involved with WKU.

“The ALIVE center became a part of the university a long time ago to serve as the portion of the university that is dedicated to getting faculty, staff, and students involved in the community to help improve the quality of life in our area,” Spaulding said. “That sometimes looks like volunteer service—it looks like service learning in many cases… and sometimes it looks like community-based research.”

Last year the event brought 33 organizations and 324 students together, but the goal this year is to surpass 400 volunteers.

“We have some organizations that have always been consistent, year after year,” Spaulding said—citing organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Lost River Cave, Warren Central High School, Hotel Inc., Barren River Area Safe Space, and Center for Courageous Kids as consistent avenues of service.

“I would say we probably have about 15 organizations that are core every year, on-board in full support, and they look forward to it every year.”

Something new to Big Red’s Blitz this year is the concept of site leaders—a group of roughly 40 sophomores, juniors, and seniors that will help lead in service at specifically designated organizations as well as aid in student recruitment.

Registration is open to all—not just incoming freshman.  If you are interested in volunteering for the event, go to wku.edu/masterplan