Peter Jacobsen’s Special Round at Oregon Partnership

One of Oregon’s most admired celebrities demonstrated his enthusiastic support of Oregon Partnership this week, meeting with OP staff and later speaking to 5th graders at Portland’s Stephenson Elementary School.

Professional golfer Peter Jacobsen has a longtime relationship with Oregon Partnership, having first come into contact with the organization during its early days when he was a parent of young children.

“And now I’m a grandfather!” said Jacobsen, who was accompanied at OP headquarters by his daughter Amy, the mother of a one-year son.

“With alcohol and drug prevention and suicide prevention, we never stop learning and never stop helping others,” remarked Jacobsen during his January visit. “There isn’t anybody who isn’t immune to the problems of drugs and alcohol.  We need to work together, as a partnership, to keep us all on the right road.”

Jacobsen added that “like every family,” his had issues with alcohol and drugs.  “If you’re ever uncomfortable about speaking up (about alcohol and drug abuse), just think about the ramifications if you don’t speak up – in their lives and in your life as well.”

Jacobsen is recuperating from a shoulder injury before heading back onto the Champions Golf Tour.  While currently living in Bonita Springs, Florida, Jacobsen still considers Oregon home and comes back often for business and pleasure.

During his visit to the 5th grade classroom at Stephenson, Jacobsen spoke about goals, asking students about what they wanted to do when they grew up.  Jacobsen added that combating peer pressure is a lifelong skill:  Choosing between right and wrong follows them their whole life.

“We all want to do things in our lives that are impactful,” said Jacobson. “In our own way, just helping somebody else within our lives – within our circle – is the most important thing.

Jacobsen is recognized as one of golf’s greatest ambassadors. He won seven times on the PGA TOUR and two major championships on the Champions Tour. He joined an exclusive club with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win two majors to start their over 50 career. Among his many accomplishments, Jacobsen has hosted his own shows on the GOLF Channel, Peter Jacobsen Plugged In and Peter and Friends.

The OP CADCA Experience

We’re back in the friendly confines of the OP office in balmy Portland, having weathered the snow and ice of Washington D.C. and site of the annual CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) conference. Three thousand people converged on the sprawling Washington Convention Center for five days of workshops, confabs, and speeches by leaders in the field.  And would you believe it?  Those three thousand are all into drug prevention at the community level, just like we are.

This was my first trip to CADCA, and I made two major observations:

1. The sweltering DC Convention Center could save enough energy to heat a small state if it turned down its thermostat.
2. We’re going to hear a whole lot more in the coming months and years about the science of drug and alcohol prevention.  Yeah, it’s about the brain.

Nobody knows that more than NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) and those folks appear to be on a roll, telling us that in the next decade, there’s going to be huge (as in measurable) progress in tackling addictions, combining treatment medications and behavior therapy.

Oregon Partnership is big on the brain too, knowing that in the crusade on underage drinking, teaching kids about the effects of alcohol on the brain and on their bodies is a preventive tool that gets results.