JPS community working together to ensure safe drinking water for athletes

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Football. It’s a physically and mentally demanding sport that fans, parents, players, and coaches look forward to every year.

The question this upcoming season isn’t how good or bad a team is projected to be, it’s how those people around a team come together to overcome an obstacle.

In what is now the third-straight week of the city-wide boil-water notice in Jackson, multiple communities have stepped up to keep players and coaches safe from the heat.

Murrah High School head coach, Marcus Gibson says parents in the community reach out to him every day looking to donate clean, bottled water.

“At Murrah, our parents are awesome. They do a great job. And I received emails and messages from parents the other day and some of them weren’t even like football parents,” Gibson said. “They’re like ‘do y’all need anything? Y’all let us know,’ so, I’m quick to jump on that and say hey, we need some water because of our water situation and generally people will just pull up and bring 5 or 6 cases of water down.”

The dedication to player safety has gotten so big, that coaches have said they are starting to have a heavy surplus of clean water for this season.

Callaway High School head coach, Dameon Brown, commended parents and the Jackson community for their contributions to JPS schools.

“Being able just to get the water that we need. Getting ice from other companies outside of Jackson just to make sure we’re keeping our water good and cold for the guys out here in this heat. It’s been a team effort by the city of Jackson, parents, athletics departments for JPS getting this done,” Brown said.

JPS Varsity Football kicks off next Friday, August 26, at 7:30 p.m.

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