Red Cross Blood Drives. The American Red Cross and the National Football League are teaming up this January, during National Blood Donor Month, to urge individuals – especially those who have recovered from COVID-19 – to give blood and to help tackle the national convalescent plasma shortage. Right now, more donors are needed to help hospital patients. During this critical time, the Red Cross and NFL are thrilled to offer all those who come to donate an opportunity to receive a special thank you this month. Those who come to donate blood or platelets this January will be automatically entered to win two tickets to next year’s Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles.* In addition, those who come to give January 1-20, will also be automatically entered to win the Big Game at Home package for an awesome viewing experience safely at home, with a 65-inch television and a $500 gift card to put toward food and fun.** Individuals can schedule an appointment to give blood today with the American Red Cross by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or activating the Blood Scheduling Skill for Amazon Alexa.
BLOOD DRIVE SCHEDULE
1/22/2021: 12 p.m. – 5:45 p.m., Jackson American Legion, 3200 Lansing Avenue
1/25/2021: 10 a.m. – 3:45 p.m., FOE 301, 301 Detroit St
1/27/2021: 10 a.m. – 3:45 p.m., Jackson College, 2111 Emmons Rd
1/28/2021: 10 a.m. – 3:45 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 743 West Michigan
1/29/2021: 10:30 a.m. – 4:15 p.m., Concord United Methodist Church, 119 S. Main Street
Virtual Polar Plunge. Registration is open now for the first-ever virtual Michigan Law Enforcement Polar Plunge for Special Olympics Michigan! Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan’s beloved cold water challenge series is shifting to an all-virtual event for the 2021 season. Participants will still register online, raise money for Special Olympics Michigan’s life-changing programs, do a cold weather challenge and earn cool swag along the way. Participants can also sign up to be a part of the first-ever Frozen 5K. To register, visit PlungeMI.com before February 28, 2021 and sign up. Participate by yourself or as a team with friends, family or co-workers. This unwavering support from Michigan residents, businesses and Law Enforcement members is crucial to helping provide inclusive sports, health and school programs for nearly 23,000 participants all across Michigan.
January 23
Concatenation Convention continues with an illuminating discussion on electricity with Jackson College Physics Professor Dr. Xania Payne, at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23. The Concatenation Convention, or Con Con, continues its year-long exploration of reanimation and the forces of nature that inspire humans to create incredible art and culture. The exploration of “reanimation” continues with a science talk on the topic of electricity. Dr. Xania Payne, professor of physics and astronomy at Jackson College, will help us think about the ways that electricity is used (and misused) in fiction and popular culture, and we’ll explore the role of electricity in what counts as “alive.” Join us in Zoom for an interview and some audience question-and-answer on this stimulating topic! Please register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMtcu-tqj0oGdOwScRhB33zb9sHp7z-e9s-. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the fun! Con Con brings together the world of science fiction and fact. The events are coordinated by Jackson College professors Steven Albee-Scott and Steven Tuckey, with community member Jon Hart.
Upcoming:
January 25
St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea will host a virtual COVID-19 Vaccine Community Forum on January 25. The community is invited to join Nancy Graebner, President; Cheryl Taylor, RN, MSN, Chief Nursing Officer; and Alon Weizer, MD, Chief Medical Officer, as they provide an update on COVID-19 vaccines and current implementation plans for the community. If you have specific questions you would like addressed, please se submit via this link by noon on Friday, January 22. To join by phone only: 408-418-9388; access code 7press # again when prompted for attendee ID. We will facilitate this meeting using a live WebEx. (At the time of the forum, please click Join Meeting below and follow instructions.) Join Meeting
Explore The Trail System in Jackson. Trails walking, hiking and biking are only a few of the ways you can make use of Jackson’s abundance of trails. Jackson’s trails give you a hundred great excuses to get out and experience nature in its purest form.
Falling Waters Trail, an integral part of the statewide proposed Iron-Belle and Great Lake to Lake Trails. Placed where Michigan Central Railroad once stood, the Falling Waters Trail is a 10.6-mile linear park connecting the Village of Concord to the City of Jackson. Next, the Falling Waters Trail continues for 3.4 miles as the Martin Luther King Equality Trail, formerly the Inter-City Trail, from Jackson’s Weatherwax Drive to Morrell Street. And finally, the Grand River Arts Walk leads walkers, joggers and cyclists from Downtown Jackson through the Arts District and onto Monroe Street.
Waterloo Recreation Area, the largest state park in the lower peninsula, contains enough trails to last a lifetime. 47 miles of hiking trails,12 miles of interpretive nature trails, and another 12 miles of equestrian trails are all nestled within 20,000 acres of protected forest.
The MacCready Reserve, south of town, includes 6.5 miles of dog-friendly trails among 400 acres of lush forest environment.
The Dahlem provides five miles of diverse trails. Walk among forests, fields, marshes and ponds, including a ⅜-mile trail for those with limited mobility, called the “The Nature For All Trail”. Trails are open year-round.
