Collegiate Times

Image: 2011-01-18 07:06:19

Two of Virginia Tech’s largest community service programs have stepped out from under the Student Government Association umbrella while attempting to maintain positive relationships with the group.

The Big Event and Relay for Life, both held in the spring on the Tech campus, are now independent student organizations. SGA president Bo Hart said both The Big Event and Relay for Life applied to become registered student organizations at the end of the 2009-10 school year. This process was finalized at the beginning of this school year, according to Hart, allowing the two programs to work as independent organizations.

The split from SGA by both events during the same time period was “just a coincidence,” Hart said.

SGA is a university chartered student organization and works under a specific set of policy guidelines. As part of SGA, The Big Event was held to the same standards as a UCSO. However, in order to maintain its non-profit status, The Big Event had to disaffiliate from SGA and become an RSO.

With the creation of The Big Event Association in 2009, the program at Tech became an official 501(c)3 non-profit, according to Nathan Lavinka, co-director of The Big Event. 

The goal of this non-profit is to “expand, promote and support” The Big Event across the country, Lavinka said. This initiative began with The Big Event director of 2009, Michael Jabs.  

Tech gave The Big Event the option of remaining part of SGA and dissolving The Big Event Association or becoming an RSO and continuing with the program. 

Lavinka said leaders with The Big Event assessed the situation and made the decision to break apart from the SGA in order to keep The Big Event Association active and to expand the organization’s fundraising options.

“The Big Event is growing and SGA money will eventually cap off,” Lavinka said

Hart agreed with the decision.

Lavinka noted that the “SGA can only give so much money” to The Big Event.

According to Hart, Relay for Life had been discussing disaffiliating from SGA for the past five years. The American Cancer Society had hopes of running Relay for Life at Tech, Hart said.

Chris Saccoccia, Relay for Life executive committee member, said many factors were part of the decision to separate from SGA. National regulations for Relay for Life and ways of operation for the program affected their decision, along with the desire for growth beyond SGA.

“In order to grow and benefit more people, Relay needed to split off from the SGA,” Saccoccia said.

Saccoccia said it is very difficult for a large entity such as Relay for Life to work under another large entity like SGA. Both organizations have their own committees and money to handle. 

“These organizations will be able to grow and foster by finding other funding and revenue,” Hart said. 

While the groups are no longer part of the SGA umbrella, they will still receive a donation from SGA. Both organizations presented to the House and Senate of SGA and received approximately $20,000 each, Hart said. 

According to Hart, SGA has established a contract for funding with Relay for Life for the next five years.

However, Lavinka said no formal agreement has been made between the SGA and The Big Event. The funding will be determined on an annual basis. 

While The Big Event has been a program within the SGA since its inception at Tech in 2001, it has been raising funds outside of the SGA for the past several years. 

Student leaders with SGA, The Big Event and Relay for Life insist that the relationship between the three groups is a positive one.

“SGA, The Big Event and Relay for Life all have the purpose of serving the student body,” Lavinka said.

“It’s an exciting time right now,” Hart said. “They are able to be themselves and grow.”

A version of this article appeared in the Jan 18 issue of the Collegiate Times.