The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé boys and girls varsity basketball teams will host Fairbanks basketball power Monroe Catholic on Friday and Saturday in the George Houston Gymnasium.

On the girls side the Monroe Rams lead the 3A Aurora Conference with a 5-0 record (16-3 overall) and the Monroe boys are in the 4A Mid Alaska Conference (3-2 MAC, 11-7 overall. The JDHS Crimson Bears girls (14-5 overall, 4-0 Southeast Conference) will play at 5 p.m. on both nights and the Crimson Bears boys (8-13 overall, 1-3 SEC) at 7 p.m.

The weekend is one of the more emotional and meaningful for the sports community of Juneau with Take A Timeout to Talk on Friday hosted by Find Your Fire and Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition, and Saturday’s Cancer Connection fundraiser.

“This weekend provides us with the opportunity to support others in the community,” JDHS coach Robert Casperson said. “On Friday the players will wear purple warmup shirts and there will be a number of special activities planned throughout the night in support of mental health…on Saturday the players will wear special socks with our Crimson Bear logo encircled by a yellow ribbon, which is the color for childhood cancer.”

Find Your Fire, formed in 2019 by the McCormick family after losing their son, Speier McCormick to death by depression (suicide), began Take A Timeout to Talk in 2020 at the beginning of COVID.

“It is our effort to assist other young adults living with mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses,” Melissa McCormick said. “The mission of the organization is to empower young adults to find their passion and what success means to them, while building a strong mental health foundation.”

On Friday the girls and boys basketball players will wear purple warmup shirts with Take a Timeout to Talk and YOU MATTER on them. Friday activities are planned with cheer, pep band and the teams throughout the night in support of mental health. “Swag” will be tossed into the crowds with positive messages such as SLAM THE STIGMA, YOU GOT THIS, YOU ARE WORTHY OF LOVE, and more.

McCormick said, “We give away free positive signs in the community that have sayings such as YOU MATTER, YOU ARE ENOUGH, DON’T GIVE UP, #SLAYTHEDAY…and we recently had several of these translated into meaningful positive words in the Tlingit language as well to share with everyone in our community.”

A State of Alaska Department of Health survey from 2023 shows that 13% of students in the Juneau School District attempted suicide one or more times in that 12-month period, compared to 19% statewide.

“As students are stepping into adulthood, the transition can often be very difficult,” McCormick said. “Mental health and support for loved ones, family members, and caregivers living with a mental illness is still very needed…The suicide statistics in Alaska are astounding. In most states, the number one cause of death are cancer, heart disease, car accidents or other personal injuries. In Alaska, suicide is still one of the leading causes of death in young adults. In Alaska in 2022 there were over 200 suicide related deaths. Alaska is seeing an increase in the number of youths ages 11 to 14 who have attempted suicide. A state report from 2019 found that the adolescent suicide rate in Alaska rose sharply from 2016 to 2019. We are doing a little better in recent years, but we have a long way to go.”

Saturday’s fundraiser for Cancer Connection originated as a tribute to former Crimson Bears basketball player, and 2014 JDHS graduate, Kevin Guimmayen (#10) in 2018 by Keela Kelley and Coach Casperson, after Kevin lost his battle with leukemia in 2017.

“With other students facing the devastating cancer diagnose in the last five years within Juneau schools, we really wanted to bring the awareness to the much bigger issue at hand, Childhood Cancer,” event coordinator Heidi Richards-Mazon said. “So, starting this year, we are going to address on a much larger topic the issue of Childhood Cancer Awareness. We want to spread information on how Cancer Connection can help the cancer patients and families that live throughout Southeast Alaska.”

During Saturday’s game all four varsity teams will be wearing customized basketball socks with the special JDHS bear and childhood cancer logo — sponsors Juneau Lions’ Club, Sarah & Spike Bicknell, and V Cellar purchased all the socks the players are wearing. Socks and wristbands will be available for a donation amount through both games.

Fully 100% of the funds collected from Saturday night’s fundraiser stay in Southeast Alaska and provide financial support for cancer patients needing to travel for cancer care (flight and housing). They also have support groups and resources of anyone seeking info. In addition, they help to sponsor events to provide information about health, cancer prevention/strategies and community connection.

According to Cancer Connection the youngest cancer patient served was only 10 months old and in the last 10 years they have provided travel assistance to 75 Southeast Alaskans under age 50.

To learn more or support these organizations information is available online at www.findyourfire.net, admin@cancerconnectonak.org and www.cancerconnectionak.org.

• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.