Events of January 8, 9, and 10, 2021

Tonight:  Jackson County Miss RoseQueen USA Pageant.  The Miss Jackson County RoseQueen Scholarship Program will take place January 9th at 6 pm. This years program will be virtual. Link to event here.  The 2021 RoseQueen Candidates: Caitlin Brys, Celia Napoletano, Jessa Pettry, Morgann Brafford, Sierra Brown, Lindy Kelso, Miranda Kinstle and Savannah Foster.  Jackson County Rose Festival.

Jackson District Library presents “Library to Go” Boxes Sign Up.  This free subscription-like service will provide your children, aged 0-9, with a selection of materials based on your preferred options! These materials will be yours to keep, so you don’t need to worry about returning them to the library.  Boxes will ship near the end of the month.  Registration for February boxes will be open January 4-10 (or until all slots are filled due to limited availability). Stay tuned for the sign-up link.  Due to the amount of interest in this program, registration will open once per month for the next month’s subscription box. You must sign up every month to receive a box the following month.  Questions? Contact our Youth Services Department at YouthServices@myjdl.com.

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 

Jackson

1/8/2021: 9 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Lifeways, 1200 N. West Avenue

1/11/2021: 11 a.m. – 4:45 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 743 West Michigan

1/14/2021: 1 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Grace Church, 2692 North Dettman

Brooklyn

1/18/2021: 12 p.m. – 5:45 p.m., Heart O The Lakes Church, 7031 Jefferson Road

Jackson

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

Concord

1/29/2021: 10:30 a.m. – 4:15 p.m., Concord United Methodist Church, 119 S. Main Street

January 9

Jackson County Miss RoseQueen USA Pageant.  The Miss Jackson County RoseQueen Scholarship Program will take place January 9th at 6 pm. This years program will be virtual. Link to event here.  The 2021 RoseQueen Candidates: Caitlin Brys, Celia Napoletano, Jessa Pettry, Morgann Brafford, Sierra Brown, Lindy Kelso, Miranda Kinstle and Savannah Foster.  Jackson County Rose Festival.

The Potter Center Virtual Series, free for the community, presents:  MOJO & THE BAYOU GYPSIES, Jan. 8, 9, 10.  Few can lift an audience like Mojo, star of the Bayou Gypsies, performing all original music certified by the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, Zydeco as well as Cajun and New Orleans two-steps, rock and blues rhythms.  Shows will be available for three days from the premier date on YouTube. Check a link on the Jackson College website for access; www.jccmi.edu/pottercenter/virtual-series/.

Boy Scout Christmas Tree Pickup.  Scout Troop 424 will be holding our annual Christmas tree pickup on January 9 but we will be restricted in our capacity due to the Coronavirus. The pickup will be between 9AM and 3PM, by reservation or by drop off in the Queen of the Miraculous Medal Parish south parking lot only. The Troop will not be doing a general tree pickup within the City of Jackson due to our limited capacity. Since this is our major fundraiser for the year, we would like you to know that you can still make end of year donations to the Troop by sending them to the parish office, Attn: Troop 424, 606 South Wisner St. Jackson, MI. 49203. Thank you for your many years of support!   Please call to notify us to pick up your tree at (517) 740-0570

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. But just because the format has changed, doesn’t mean the excitement, fun or importance of the event has to.  So, what exactly is a “virtual” Polar Plunge? 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. The main difference is that, instead of hitting the water at a traditional Plunge location, now the choice is up to you on where, when and how you want to get bold and cold for the athletes of Special Olympics Michigan.  Do snow angels in your swimsuit. Lounge in a cold water-filled kiddie pool in your backyard. Have a water balloon or squirt gun fight while wearing Halloween costumes. Have a family member spray you with a water hose or splash you with a bucket of cold water. Get as creative as you want and have fun with it!  Participants can also sign up to be a part of the first-ever Frozen 5K. Sign up, choose your course and send us your times when you’re done. In return, we’ll send you your choice of a Sport-Tek or heather cotton long sleeve shirt.  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. Raise a minimum of $100 to receive a free 2021 Polar Plunge crewneck sweatshirt; raise more money and earn additional Polar Plunge swag including fleece blankets, jogger pants, bags, coats and more!  The Polar Plunge series raises more than $1 million for Special Olympics Michigan each year, with 2020 being a banner year that saw a record $1.37 million raised. 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.

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.