March 09, 2022 Page 5 s pOrts Red Cross Giving Day Youth Basketball Champions! Jefferson’s Sixth Grade Youth Basketball team celebrates a 2022 Portland Interscholastic League championship. Congratulations on a great season! Jefferson High School's effort to reestablish themselves as a marquee basketball program is off to a promising start. Building from the ground up, the Jefferson boys middle school program accomplished a clean sweep winning Portland Interscholastic League champi- onships with the 6th, 7th and 8th grade teams all winning their re- spective divisions. Tournament play was capped by the two Jefferson's 6th grade teams playing each other in the championship game, with Jeff Blue led by coach Damarcus Foster, beating Jeff Gold 73-54. You too can give back Last year, local Red Cross volunteers responded to nearly 700 emergency disasters, in- cluding home fires and wildfire that burned hundreds of thou- sands of acres. During March, the organization’s Cascades Region takes time to honor the volunteers who make its mis- sion possible every day. “When emergencies strike, our community rallies together to help families and individu- als when it matters most,” said Dale Kunce, CEO, Red Cross Cascades Region. “We hon- or this dedication during our Red Cross Month celebration, and we invite everyone to turn their compassion into action by donating, volunteering, giv- ing blood or taking a lifesaving skills course.” Red Cross volunteer Linda Sauders said she got inspired to become a blood donor because of a medical condition that impacted her daughter. “When my daughter was 11, she was diagnosed with leuke- mia and needed blood transfu- sions. This is my way of paying Supporting Oregonians COPING WITH PROBLEM GAMBLING Coping Activities that help us cope with the things we can’t control are generally positive choices. Sometimes, however, those activities themselves become difficult to control. For some, gambling can turn from a fun distraction into something that feels increasingly out of control. Linda Sauders gives credit to her daughter for inspiration to become a Red Cross blood donor. forward for my many blessings to have my daughter here to- day,” Sanders said. You too can give back during Red Cross Month. Visit red- cross.org to make a financial donation, give blood, become a volunteer, or take a class in lifesaving skills, such as first aid and CPR. On March 23, you can also join our annual Red Cross Giving Day campaign by donating at redcross.org/ givingday to help provide shel- ter, food, relief items, emotion- al support and other assistance for people affected by disasters big and small. Help is Available Here in Oregon, help is available. Through the Oregon Problem Gambling Resource (OPGR), gamblers and those who love them can get support from trained addiction counselors, often right from home. Treatment is effective. People are ready and waiting to provide better mechanisms to cope and to heal. And, best of all, it’s free. All it takes is a phone call, a text, or an online chat to get started. Reach out. You’re not alone. For more information, visit