Students will storm Albuquerque on Saturday for UNM's biggest community-service event.
Spring Storm is a day dedicated to community service around the city, said Saraswati Khalsa, assistant director of Community Experience, the ASUNM executive agency that coordinates the event.
She said Community Experience members organize events to get UNM in touch with the outside community.
Spring Storm is in its third year. Khalsa said last year, 800 people signed up for the event, but about 1,000 showed up to work with more than 36 Albuquerque organizations.
"It is going to be really big this year," Khalsa said.
So far 900 students and faculty have signed up, including 78 organizations and departments.
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This year Spring Storm has expanded the number of places where volunteer work will be done, trying to reach as much of Albuquerque as it can, Khalsa said.
"We come together as a huge force, and there is so much we can do for Albuquerque with that power," Khalsa said.
She said all the volunteers are excited.
"It is the perfect chance to work together and realize the potential we have as group to make Albuquerque better," Khalsa said.
Sara Trent is participating in Spring Storm for a second time.
She said she would like to volunteer more, but she doesn't have a lot of time and also does not know where to find volunteer opportunities.
Spring Storm is a good opportunity, she said.
"It's kind of cool because they have it all set up for you," Trent said. "You go in the morning. They tell you where to go volunteer."
Check in starts at 9 a.m. Breakfast and sack lunches will be provided, and at the end of the day, all of the volunteers re-gather for a barbeque. Volunteers are advised to bring a hat, sunscreen, water and to wear comfortable clothes that can get dirty.
"The barbeque is a great time to kick back and appreciate what the groups have done," Khalsa said. "The groups eat, bond with each other and relax."
She said it is great to see everyone come together, and anyone is welcome to come to the barbeque.
Khalsa said a lot of people show up on the Saturday of Spring Storm, which is OK, but they should arrive early so they can be assigned places to go.
"Spring Storm is a really great community-service event," said Allicia Waukau, vice-president of the KIVA club.
This is the second year Waukau has participated.
"The KIVA club is working with the other Native-American groups on campus, and we are going to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center," Waukau said. "We get to work all together as one big group instead of separately."
