The Rising Above Crane Event was recently held in Fort St. John, where an individual spent most of the weekend suspended in the skies of the North Peace to raise funds and awareness.
Dan Rigler (left) and Todd Buck (right) were rising above Fort St John.
Dan Rigler spent three days suspended close to 200’ in the air while raising awareness for Rising Above FSJ, which is an abstinence-based treatment facility in Baldonnel, just outside Fort St. John.
The former non-profit organization New Day in the Peace, which was based out of Fort St. John reached out to Rising Above in 2021. New Day in the Peace was still searching for different ways they could help individuals struggling with addiction and homelessness within their community after being disbanded before Covid.
Since 2007, the Rising Above program had been successfully running in Grande Prairie and consistently sought opportunities to expand to other northern communities in need of similar support.
Their faith-based six-month residential treatment program helps address a wide range of issues, with substance abuse being the most common according to their website. The Rising Above program also addresses patterns of homelessness and criminal behavior, deep rooted shame, anxiety and anger issues.
The board, staff, volunteers, and supporters will be entirely made up of locals for this division while the leadership team from Grande Prairie will assist with the start-up. The team will take a hands-off approach once the organization is confident in its ability to operate independently according to the website.
Currently one woman is participating in the residential treatment program and living at the facility.
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