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Jackson Public Schools honored with American Red Cross award after students collect 535 pints of blood
Summary
District leaders and Red Cross officials on April 24 praised Jackson Public Schools students for a districtwide blood-drive campaign that collected 535 pints of blood, produced $12,350 in scholarships so far and put three JPS schools provisionally in a national top-10 ranking for sickle-cell donation outreach.
Jackson Public School District officials and American Red Cross representatives on April 24 highlighted a student-led blood-donation campaign that collected 535 pints of blood and produced $12,350 in scholarships so far.
The district’s assistant superintendent for high schools, Lakeisha Marshall Thomas, introduced the Red Cross presenters and said the campaign gave students “real world opportunities to lead and serve.” Denise Smith, Strategic Business Planning Manager for Donor Recruitment at the American Red Cross, and Shatina Nwosu, Regional Emerging Markets Manager, attended the meeting and described the campaign’s outcomes.
“The total of scholarships is $12,350,” Smith told the board, and she said the Red Cross awards an additional $5,000 scholarship to any school that finishes in the top 10 nationally for units collected for sickle-cell patients. Smith said, as of the meeting tally, three Jackson schools were provisionally in that top 10 and the final national ranking will be confirmed after June tabulations.
Board members and district speakers credited student councils, advisers and district leadership. Tamika Stewart, Southwest Mississippi executive director for the Red Cross, presented Jackson Public Schools with the Southwest Mississippi Chapter “Blood Services Sponsorship Group of the Year” award signed April 24, 2025. District officials said the campaign aimed both to increase blood availability and to raise student awareness about sickle-cell disease.
District and Red Cross presenters described non‑scholarship benefits as well: students gained health education and leadership experience, and the campaign created opportunities for further partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities. Superintendent Eric Green was thanked by presenters for district support.
District officials said they plan to run additional blood drives regionally and encouraged community organizations and churches to partner with the Red Cross for future events.
The presentation closed with board members and staff praising the students’ efforts and noting advance planning by student council advisers across the six high schools.
