Events of Thursday, January 14, 2021

Witness the Difference at Lumen Christi Catholic School.  Don’t miss your chance to learn of the opportunities at Lumen Christi! This presentation is free, open to the public, and guaranteed to provide you with new information about Lumen Christi Catholic School.  8:30 AM or 7 PM.  Register to attend virtually.  Contact Maureen Brown at mbrown@myjacs.org.

Christian Music Skate.  Allskate Fun Center.  THURSDAYS IN JANUARY:  JANUARY 7, 14, 21 & 28, 2021, 2-4 PM.  Allskate Fun Center, 1313 W. North Street, Jackson.  Admission $6.  $4 for any type of skate rental.  Laser Tag: $6 for 1 game / $9 for a Double Play.  Super Pass $12, Includes Skate Rental, 10 Game Tokens, 1 Game of Laser Tag!

Virtual Classes at Jackson YMCA.  FREE classes for members, open to the community. Community members can buy a monthly pass for all classes. Participants have access to all our virtual classes, six days a week. New Year Membership Promotion:  $0 Join Fees now through Jan. 15.  The Y is now offering extended weekend hours:  Saturday 7 AM to 5 PM and Sunday 11 AM to 3 PM.  Monday thru Friday 5 AM to 8 PM.  JacksonYMCA.org

Jackson District Library presents “Library to Go” Boxes Sign Up.  This free subscription-like service will provide your children, aged 10-18, 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.  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.  We have a limited number of boxes available, so sign up soon! Registration for February boxes will run January 11-17 and may close early if all slots are filled.  For questions, contact the 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

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

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

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 15

MLK Diversity Breakfast presented by The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce.  Please join again this January in celebrating the life of a visionary and one of the greatest leaders in world history, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This inspiring community celebration honors not only the legacy of Dr. King, but also celebrates the spirit of diversity in our community.  This January’s event maintains the heritage and purpose of those in the past, while introducing a virtual format. The celebration features Michigan’s Lieutenant Governor, Garlin Gilchrist’s highly anticipated keynote of the strength of diversity and Dr. Kings legacy. Additionally, the Jackson District Library, is partnering with the Chamber to include students from the Middle School at Parkside who will recite excerpts from Dr. King’s Drum Major Instinct Sermon.  Benefactors of the event will include Challenge Day, a nonprofit organization committed to building empathy and compassion in our communities. Challenge Day programs are held every fall here inviting all area 7^th graders. Also, the Chamber, in cooperation with the Jackson Community Foundation, is creating a scholarship for a local student of color to Jackson College, Spring Arbor University, or Baker College.  The event will be broadcast on JTV and JTV.tv on Friday, January 15th and Monday, January 18th from 8am-9am and again from 10am-11am. 

January 18

Jackson College presents virtual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration,   6 PM.  “Hope, Inspire, Believe.” Keynote speaker for the evening will be CMS Energy executive Rejji Hayes, who will offer words of inspiration for the evening, “Dr. King’s Dream for Today.” The 2021 King Medal of Service will be presented posthumously to Benny Poole, who passed away in December. Poole was a lifelong musician who continued to play and entertain with his beloved saxophone into his 90s. He used his talent to build bridges and bring people together, especially for his hometown of Jackson.  Tune in via Zoom to the 2021 event; this is free and all community members are welcome.

LINK: https://zoom.us/j/95116566323

January 20

Con Con presents Virtual Planetarium Show.  Jackson’s Concatenation Convention continues with another out-of-this-world planetarium presentation at 8 p.m. Jan. 20 via Zoom.

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 — this time, with a mind-blowing tour of the cosmos! Enjoy the view afforded by a modern planetarium right in the comfort of your own home, as we explore the universe: from stellar collisions, supernovae, and black holes, to the collision of entire galaxies. Our host, Austin Edmister, director of the Hurst Planetarium at the Ella Sharp Museum in Jackson, will guide us on our virtual journey and answer audience questions during this exciting event.

Please register in advance for this free event:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZApd-iprzsuHNJzBj7lPjIM7ZKpes0XGUbg

After registering, you 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. Learn more at www.jxnconcon.org.