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March 6, 2019 www.DesertMessenger.com 21 Salome High updates How to help the local food bank We want dates of your events planned for NEXT SEASON! SUBMIT FOR FREE at www.QuartzsiteCalendar.com Reliable Work - Reasonable Rates References Available 720-218-4239 DERRICK SHIPLEY, owner (Not a Licensed Contractor) highmountainhandymann@gmail.com High Mountain Handymann Professional Handyman Service in Quartzsite! Mention Ad for SNOWBIRD SPECIAL! When was the last time you asked yourself, "I wonder what I could do to help my local food bank?" Oh, you haven't asked yourself that question? Well then let me help you get your creative thoughts fl owing. The Quartzsite Food Bank, plus Carol's Closet for people needing help with clothing and personal items, is located on the corner of Cowell and Moon Mountain, just north of the Senior Center. They are open to serve the community every Tuesday and Thursday, from 8 a.m. to noon. The operation is run by volunteers, and yes, we can always use help. Even if only 2 or 3 hours a week, it eases the work load of the loyal folks who have literally been serving the community for years ev- ery single week. Anyone can donate and the items that help the most include peanut butter, jams and jellies, soups, canned vegetables and fruit, Top Ramen type meals, snack items like protein bars, things to make a meal from to maybe compliment the rice or beans. The canned tuna, chicken salad, ham salad – just cruise through your cup- boards and see what you have not used and really don't plan to use for a while. Someone who has had little to no groceries will be delighted with your generosity. The dollar stores have a dollar aisle. Just picking up $5 of deodorants, shampoo, tooth- paste, toothbrushes...Carol's Closet would benefi t so much with these personal items. Some ideas for groups to gather do- nations would be bingo players, for donation of a canned good, get a free card. The music jams, encourage bringing a donation to your event. The Sunday school class, gather items for Carol's Closet like gently used clothing from your closet, toys for little ones, blankets. The RV parks having a donation box in their offi ce which we can pick up if contacted or you can drop off when open. There was a challenge thrown out on Quartzsite Chatter recently. The Urbans and the Schultz families grabbed that opportunity and each brought over $50 of wonderful food items into the food bank. That al- lowed Family Boxes to be set up and they are so very valuable to the family seeking that extra hand "up". Thank you so much to any and all who give as they can. If you gather excess clean reusable grocery bags, we can always use them. Thank you for your support. And if you plan to leave the area before the warmer weather set- tles in, please think of us for those canned good and boxed products you really don't want to haul home or leave in the heat all summer in your home here. We serve over 100 people every Tuesday and Thursday all summer. And it's so very much appreciated by the all. For the many using Amazon, are you aware of their program called Amazon Smile? You pick a char- ity of your choice and they donate by sending a check every three months. There are a few having the food bank receive a donation. We would love to be your organization of choice, which would defi nitely make us smile. To inquire further please call Lois DuPre at 480 286 8373. Thank you to the Quartzsite Com- munity for your warm, giving spirit. You are so valuable and so appreci- ated by so many. For information on how to donate to the Friends of the Quartzsite Food Bank: QuartzsiteFoodBank.com Or mail check to FQFB, PO Box 4051, Quartzsite, AZ 85359. On February 13th, the 8th grad- ers from the nearby schools got to spend a day at Salome High School. Upon arrival, the high schoolers greeted the kids by lining up and forming a tunnel around them to cheer as they got off the bus! A vast majority of the 8th graders were shy and soft-spoken, but most of them began to open up as the day went on. A handful of the teach- ers prepared presentations and fun activities to give the students a taste of what the high school has to offer. For example, Mr Tapp had a painting activity, Mr Lee played JeapordLee, and Ms Slucas had students extract strawberry DNA. It was a fun and chaotic day. From Zach Y. supposedly taking a ham- mer to the hand to Lourdes M. and her megaphone, everyone involved will for sure have stories to tell! The girls secured the title of 1A West regional champions by win- ning their championship games on Feb. 8th and 9th. When asked how the girls were so successful, Coach McCarty said, "working extremely hard" and "buying into our defen- sive and offensive concepts" was what really made all the difference this season. Regarding the season as a whole, McCarty went on to say, "It is always fun to work with the youth community and coaching back to back regional champions is really just a testament to the ath- letes' dedication, focus, and hard work." The girls ended up going to state playoffs but lost a tough game in the fi rst round. The boys' basketball team also won their regional championship games in an upset. They came into the tournament with a lower seed. When Coach Bozic was asked about what changes the team had to go through to get out of their slump, he responded with "It took time for us to grow into a cohesive unit. I learned how to work with them, and they learned how to grow as a team." When he was asked how he felt about the team's chances of performing just as well next year, he said "We have two teams that are getting tremendous talent this next year, and we are losing key players. That being said, if we give it our all we will be able to achieve great things next year." This makes for the second regional champion- ship the boys have won this year, the other being in football. While they also lost out in the fi rst round of the state playoffs it was an overall amazing season for both teams!

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