PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - When you see Lorene Leabo, she’s probably going to be wearing some Trail Blazers red. The scarlet and black are close to the heart for the 99-year-old resident of Columbia Place Assisted Living in Rip City.
“Sports to me is important in life, it keeps your life going,” she said.
Lorene is a proud alum of Gresham High from the class of 1944.
“I always watched sports because I played clarinet and we had to go to all the games,” she said.
From her room at Columbia Place to the place the Blazers call home.
“If we couldn’t go to the game, we watched it on television. It was a great invention.”
Lorene’s dream was to return to Rose Quarter and take in an NBA game, live and in color, for the first time since the death of her husband Dale.
“We used to always go to games every year, but my husband died three years ago, I haven’t been to any and so wishing to go to the game was important. Being at the stadium and watching the game is so much different than watching on a little TV screen,” Lorene said.
A vision of reality and getting the VIP treatment in row one pregame from the team during warmups with a token of appreciation from Blazers all-star Deni Avdija.
The Leabos had four kids together and fostered 26 children and the Blazers were always part of the family.
“It’s amazing the change from back then to now. I’ve lived through and watched every bit of it and enjoyed it all,” she said.
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