The ACU community will come together to serve Saturday during the annual ACU for Abilene service day, and organizers hope to make this the largest event ever.

Last year, ACU sent 175 people to work and connect with the community. This year, Katie Buckel, service engagement coordinator, hopes to send around 200 students and faculty to serve at 15 locations around the city. Buckel says this is ACU’s biggest service project every year.

Several groups will descend on Abilene this weekend to clean, paint, do lawn work or simply set up a cookout to meet locals. Volunteers may choose which group and activity in which to participate via a sign-up sheet in the McGlothlin Campus Center. Free T-shirts will be given to volunteers Wednesday.

“We want to give back to Abilene,” Buckel said, “but this is also an opportunity to strengthen the ACU community as a whole.”

Some of the service locations include: Woodson Early Childhood Center, Neighbor for Neighbor, the Food Bank of West Central Texas, The House that Kerry Built, Abilene Hope Haven, the Abilene Zoo and area nursing homes.

Trojans and Alpha Kai Omega have taken advantage of the service project in the past and play a key role in finding people to volunteer, Buckel said.

Kate Huggins, junior biochemistry major from Abilene, enjoys working with her hands and meeting different kinds of people. She said ACU for Abilene has taught her how to work hard, share genuine Christian love and help meet the city’s diverse needs while serving.

“ACU for Abilene and service days at large have been a huge part of my experience here at ACU,” Huggins said. “We have a great opportunity in this event to come together with our friends just before the end-of-year panic of finals and projects, take a deep breath and do something worthwhile for the city.”