Big Sunday Weekend, USA's Largest Festival of Community Service, Attracts Tens of Thousands on May 4, 5 & 6; 20 Years After L.A. Riots Event Shows How Far City Has Come

LOS ANGELES, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Big Sunday Weekend, the signature and largest event of the Big Sunday organization, takes place Friday, May 4, Saturday, May 5 and Sunday, May 6, 2012.  Now in its 14th year, Big Sunday Weekend is the largest regional community service festival in the United States, engaging tens of thousands of volunteers of all ages, races, religions, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds from all over California, with projects from San Diego to the Bay Area.  Big Sunday Weekend cuts across social barriers, bringing together thousands of people who work together at hundreds of nonprofits, schools and other agencies that need their help.  Volunteers come from, and work in, all kinds of neighborhoods, participating as individuals, with their families, or as part of a school, faith group, business or club.  They come together to lend a hand at hundreds of projects at varied locations helping hundreds of local, national and international nonprofit organizations. Volunteer opportunities exist for every passion, talent, skill and age.  Projects are scheduled throughout the weekend, and can last from one hour to two full days.  Big Sunday Weekend also includes special events such as concerts, book fairs, and blood drives.  Truckloads of clothes, books, food, furniture, musical instruments, luggage, toys and other items are also collected and donated to various nonprofits.  Big Sunday has no religious or political agenda and all events are free to all participants.  Projects are funded by private and corporate cash grants and in-kind donations.  The core philosophy of Big Sunday is that everyone, regardless of how rich or poor, old or young, race, religion, gender, ethnicity or circumstance, can help somebody else: Everyone Helps, and Everyone Wins.  Big Sunday Weekend is more than community service -- it's also about community building. 

"This year, especially as we mark the 20th anniversary of the L.A. riots, it's nice to see so many people, from so many different worlds, coming together to help one another. It shows how far we've come, and how committed we are to build a wonderful future together," said David Levinson, Big Sunday's Founder and Executive Director and author of Everyone Helps, Everyone Wins, How Absolutely Anyone Can Pitch In. Help Out. and Give Back. to Make the World a Better Place.

To sign-up to volunteer on Big Sunday Weekend, or help in other ways year-round, please visit www.bigsunday.org.

Big Sunday is the premier resource in California for volunteering year-round.

People from all walks of life rely on Big Sunday to help them find meaningful volunteer opportunities, and Big Sunday's nonprofit partners have come to rely on them to place volunteers throughout the year.  In April, the Points of Light Foundation recognized Big Sunday as one of  "10 national nonprofits that are making a tremendous impact on our country's most critical challenges by mobilizing volunteers."

Big Sunday Weekend 2012 Sponsors:
Community Leader: 
The Kauffman Skloff Family
The Rosenthal Family Foundation

Community Builder:
Disney
The Home Depot Foundation
Temple Israel of Hollywood
Kaiser Permanente
Fox Gives

Good Neighbor:
Bel Air Presbyterian Church
City National Bank
Joshua L. and Lisa Z. Greer
Hasbro Studios
JP Morgan Chase and Co.
Kendall Brill and Klieger LLP
NBC Universal
Paramount
Parsons Corporation
Tee It Up for the Troops
Tichenor & Thorp Architects
TriNet
Wilshire Boulevard Temple

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.
David Levinson
http://www.profnetconnect.com/david.t.levinson

Rachel Schwartz/PR ADVANTEDGE INC.
310.990.2764
[email protected]

SOURCE Big Sunday