Several Kansas University students have just finished staining a wooden picnic table and are sitting in a loose circle as they pull weeds from the paths between the raised beds at the Community Garden, 1313 Pennsylvania St.

The students were volunteering as part of Super Service Saturday, hosted by the KU Center for Community Outreach. Thomas Becker, a freshman from Lawrence, said that in addition to helping with the garden, the event offered the student volunteers an opportunity to meet new people.

“We’re working together, meeting people we don’t necessarily live with or have classes with,” he said, adding that it was rewarding to do something as a group and be part of the community.

Super Service Saturday serves as the CCO’s welcome event of the year and is part of KU’s annual Hawk Week, which includes various events to kick off the school year. As part of Super Service Saturday, students volunteered at more than 20 local agencies, including the Lawrence Humane Society, Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence and the Lawrence Arts Center.

About 600 students were expected to participate, but 750 showed up, said Kate Phalen, a KU student and co-coordinator for CCO. Those overflow students who couldn’t be added to the existing projects helped by picking up litter around town.

“It was really exciting — there was just a flood of people,” Phalen said, noting that students came in large groups from scholarships halls, dorms and greek houses.

“It’s great that they wanted to come out and help, especially given that it’s their first Saturday here in Lawrence,” Phalen said, noting that a majority of the students participating were freshmen. “It’s a great way to get freshmen involved and participating in CCO.”

Nicole Rosacker, the communications director for the CCO and a senior at KU, said the event benefits the student and the community by introducing students to a variety of agencies that work to sustain Lawrence.

“Students can learn more about volunteering, how to get involved and those organizations that are available in the Lawrence community,” she said.

The CCO is a student-run organization that encourages KU students to be active volunteers as part of its goal to bridge the gap between campus and the community. For more information on the organization, email cco@ku.edu or visit cco.ku.edu.