photo by: University of Kansas

Several volunteers who participated in KU's The Big Event on April 5 are pictured.

Nearly 1,000 students, faculty and staff members at the University of Kansas participated in a volunteer event earlier this month for Lawrence residents in need of help with everything from yard work to house cleaning.

KU leaders on Friday released the tallies from The Big Event, a student-led volunteer effort that took place on April 5. KU volunteers did work at 130 different job sites around town, according to organizers.

More than 70% of the people requesting volunteer help were 65 years of age or older, according to the new report. The organizers tallied 966 students, faculty and staff members participated at the event. Nearly 90 KU organizations or departments provided volunteers for the event.

KU estimates the work provided by the volunteers had a value of about $130,000, based upon an hourly national average for volunteer workers.

KU holds The Big Event two times per year. The next event will be Oct. 18. Anyone who resides within the Lawrence city limits can make a request for help from the volunteers. People interested in requesting help can do so at thebigevent.ku.edu.