More than 700 students, faculty and staff gathered to uproot tree stumps, pack pinto beans, strip carpet and complete hundreds of other projects during the Saturday Spring Storm.
Jessica Hall, the event's secretary, said organizers arrived at 5:30 a.m. to begin setting up tables and sound equipment for the event, which swept through 30 local sites.
"We got here very early this morning," Hall said. "We were able to get everything ready to go and the staff at their positions to begin helping the volunteers sign up as they came in."
Hall added that people arrived at the stadium around 8:15 a.m. and quickly received name tags and wristbands designating their project duties.
After students were assigned to groups, they elected supervisors in charge of making sure the project was completed and calling the event organizers if any problems arose.
After checking that people could physically handle assignments, volunteers huddled around four tables spread with doughnuts, coffee, fruit and bagels, paid for by the president's office.
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UNM President Bill Gordon greeted volunteers and encouraged participants to enjoy the event.
He added that he had never seen an event such as Spring Storm during the 24 years he had been at the University.
UNM student Matt Ray said he was assigned to go to the Road Runner Food Bank and looked forward to finding out what he was going to be doing.
"This is an awesome deal for us to do," Ray said. "I'm ready to get started."
Many, such as UNM students Gil Morales and Lorenzo Garcia, rose early to participate in the event. Both said they signed up hoping to do something good for the community and considered the outdoor work an excellent chance to get a tan.
By the end of the day, the two had spent all afternoon working at the Rio Grande Nature Center, where they helped tear down a fence, cut down trees and dig ditches.
"The whole place looked totally different than when we started," Garcia said. "It was great to see what our work did."
Event volunteers were provided with maps and driving directions as they carpooled to sites close to the UNM campus, Downtown Albuquerque and the Westside.
Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity members dug out tree stumps and dead trees at Casa Esperanza, a community center and residence for people with cancer, located on 1005 Yale NE.
Mike Gallegos, the center's facility supervisor, said he was grateful that the students dedicated their time to the center.
"They are saving us about $1,000 and that is money that we don't have to pay someone for landscaping," Gallegos said.
UNM student Matt Plummer cut carpet and replaced it with linoleum at New Mexico Parent and Child Resources, Inc. on 3500 Indian School Rd. NE.
"Getting the glue off the floor was the hardest part of the job, but it will be done in an hour or two," Plummer said of the project.
He added that the area will be used by foster children for eating and drinking.
Anne Desiderio, the center's director, said because it is a nonprofit organization, funds for projects such as carpet stripping aren't available.
"We can use the money that we do receive for crucial projects that are in desperate need of funding," she said.
Outside the center, UNM student Monica Vigil painted a bench on the playground.
"It's a little hot, but I am having fun painting," Vigil said.
UNM graduate students J.J. Mitchell and Jimmy Phillips finished pouring cement in holes used for goal posts before opening their provided sack lunches.
The menu included peanut butter sandwiches, potato chips, apples and chocolate chip cookies.
"Pouring cement is hard work," Philips said. "We needed a break."
Volunteers also sorted food at Roadrunner Food Bank on 2645 Baylor Dr. SE.
Elizabeth Clark, project group leader, said her group put dry food into categories to be boxed and sent to homeless shelters. In another food bank room, a group of nine people in an assembly line packaged pinto beans.
UNM student Candace Coulson said that her goal was to package about 1,750 pounds of beans.
"We are working together as a team and getting the job done," Coulson said.
Later in the afternoon, the lights were dimmed at Laurel Gardens Healthcare, a retirement home on 904 Las Lomas NE, as Omega Delta Phi fraternity members danced with 30 senior citizens.
Alice Sisneros, 86, danced with UNM student Robert Tafoya. She said that it had been a long time since she has been able to put on her dancing shoes.
"I had a nice time dancing with these handsome 'gents," Sisneros said. "Can they come back?"
Participating fraternity and sorority members found the experience completely different than their individual community service done throughout the year. Kappa Kappa Gamma and Lambda Theta Phi members spent their day raking, planting and tilling soil at Mariposa Basin Park in Taylor Ranch.
Many of the sorority members said they never did manual labor before and found the experience very fulfilling.
The Community Experience, a UNM organization created to provide ongoing community service, worked with local businesses that sponsored the event.
Dathan Weems, the event's director, said the project was his way of helping the community.
Weems said the project began last May when the group solicited local nonprofit organizations for ideas and projects. Weems added that the organization received a substantial response and tried its best to include as many groups as possible.
He said he wants to see the project continue, and wants to help even after he graduates from law school next year.
"I can't leap tall buildings by myself," Weems said. "I had the opportunity to work with great people."
Weems, along with other organization members, spent the day setting up for the events before and after the projects, in addition to troubleshooting problems that arose at different sites.
Jennifer Onuska, event co-chairwoman, said she was able to visit many different project sites, adding that the entire event was a great experience.
After the event, participants gathered for a celebration catered by Powdell's Barbeque.
The event was sponsored by The Community Experience, a student organization that was formed to coordinate the Spring Storm.
Organizers of the event will now focus on developing The Community Experience as the center for community service activities on campus by working with groups it attracted to Saturday's service event.
