Jackson Free Press

Tuesday, Dec. 28

JPS Pepsi Holiday Basketball Tournament Dec 28-30, at Jackson State University, Williams Athletics and Assembly Center (1400 John R. Lynch St.). The tournament features 11 girls' teams and 13 boys' teams throughout the state. Consolation games are at Forest Hill High School (2607 Raymond Road). Visit the JPS website for brackets and game times. $8 Dec. 28-29, $10 semifinals and finals.

6 p.m., Jackson City Council Meeting at Jackson City Hall (200 S. President St.). The Jackson City Council holds its regular meeting, open to the public. Free; call 601-960-1033.

Thursday, Dec. 30

6:30 p.m., LGBT Support Group for Youth/Young Adults at A Brave New Day (Fondren Corner, 2906 N. State St., Suite 204). Rise Above for Youth welcomes youth and young adults age 14-24 to connect with others in the community and to share experiences and resources. Free; call 601-922-4968.

Through Dec. 31

Food for Thought at Old Capitol Museum (100 S. State St.). Visitors are invited to donate books and non-perishable foods all month. Special programming for school groups will highlight the value of good citizenship. Call 601-576-6800.

Mississippi Music Foundation Money Match Program. The program is for artists living in Mississippi who are seeking to record and release an original CD. MMF will match up to 50 percent of funds raised by an artist to complete one song or group of songs. All genres are accepted, but all groups or artists must apply and acceptance is not guaranteed. Call 662-429-2939.

Restaurant Rave Call for Contestants at Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau (111 E. Capitol St., Suite 102). Write a rave review in 100 words or less about your favorite Jackson restaurant and submit it by Dec. 31, and you could win a dinner for four. The winning restaurant review will be featured on visitjackson.com and the Bureau's Facebook and Twitter accounts. E-mail your review to [e-mail missing] with the word "RAVE" in the subject line. Include your full name, telephone number, and email address. You can also submit entries through visitjackson.com by clicking on the "Want Free Food?" banner on the home page. Call 601-960-1891.

Through Jan. 3

Annual Christmas Tree Recycling Program. The City of Jackson encourages residents to recycle their Christmas trees as part of their "Save One for the Chipper" Christmas-tree recycling program. The program provides residents the opportunity to drop off trees at one of the following locations: Mynelle Gardens, (4736 Clinton Blvd.), Parham Bridges Children's Playground, (5055 Old Canton Road), Sykes Park (520 Sykes Road) and Dizzy Dean Museum (next to Smith-Wills Stadium, 1326 Lakeland Drive). City crews will the chip the trees into mulch for use in city landscaping projects and will also offer it to the public at no cost. Call 601-960-1840 or 601-960-0000.

Through Jan. 10

Super Bowl Raffle. Buy raffle tickets for a Super Bowl trip package for two to Super Bowl XLV on Feb. 6. The deadline is Jan. 10. Proceeds benefit Jobs for Mississippi Graduates (JMG), a dropout prevention program operating in all eight JPS high schools. $100 each; call 601-978-1711.

Through Jan. 19

Mississippi Health Awareness Day Call for Host Sites. The Coalition for a Healthier Mississippi is actively recruiting host sites and vendors to perform free health screenings during Mississippi Health Awareness Day on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011. Call 601-487-8269 or John Victorian at 601-487-8275.

Through Feb. 27

Jackson State University Alumni Association Membership Drive at Jackson State University (1400 John R. Lynch St.). The Jackson-Hinds chapter is seeking new members to join the association. $25 membership; e-mail [e-mail missing].

Ongoing

Jackson Public Schools Call for Volunteers. Jackson Public Schools is seeking volunteers from the community to be mentors for s high school seniors enrolled in the Advanced Seminar: Employability Skills course. Call 601-960-8310.

Medical Mall Moment Report at WOAD 1300 AM. Find out about the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation's current activities every second Friday of the month at 8:30 a.m. Call-ins to 601-995-1400 are welcome. You can send your questions and comments in advance to [e-mail missing] or call the office for more information. The broadcast is also available on jacksonmedicalmall.org. Call 601-982-8467.

Cancer Rehab Classes at Baptist Medical Center (1225 N. State St.), in the Activity Room of the Hederman Cancer Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2 p.m. The class helps cancer patients enhance cardiovascular strength, endurance, their immune system and bone density. It helps to increase overall strength and stamina, decrease fatigue and weight loss, and improve digestion. Registration is required. Free; call 601-948-6262 or 800-948-6262.

You Have the Mic at Afrika Book Cafe (404 Mitchell Ave.). The open political forum for discussing Jackson's current issues is hosted by Othor Cain and Mista Main of Hot 97.7 FM on Mondays from 6-8 p.m. E-mail [e-mail missing].

Weekly Storytime at Pearl Public Library (2416 Old Brandon Road, Pearl). Each Tuesday, Baby Bookworms Storytime for children ages birth-36 months is at 9:30 a.m., and Preschool Storytime for children ages 3-6 is at 10:30 a.m. The event includes stories, rhymes and music, and a puppet show on the last Tuesday of the month. Free; call 601-932-2562.

Youth Women's Cycling Group Sep 25-Dec 31, at Ridgeland. Get fit while participating in a fun, recreational environment, Saturdays at 10 a.m.. The club is for young girls ages 13-17. Free; call 601-559-5577.