Rising Above Ministry uses crane stunt to spotlight Fort St. John addiction services

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Rising Above Ministry has ascended to new heights to raise awareness for its services at the Safeway parking lot in Fort St. John.

On Friday, November 22nd, Dan Rigler, a Rising Above board member in Grande Prairie and maintenance manager with Sterling Crane, will spend the weekend in a secure basket 180 feet in the air with the assistance of a Sterling crane.

Rising Above Board Member Jared Braun was on site for the spectacle to share his thoughts with Energeticcity.ca. 

“You can’t help but drive down the highway or drive around town and wonder, ‘Why is there a crane with a guy way up in the air?’” said Braun. 

According to Braun, Rigler is no stranger to these kinds of spectacles and was happy to help in Fort St. John. 

“Dan’s been a loyal board member with them, and he has gone up in the basket like this two different times there in Grand Prairie and offered to come and do this for us here,” said Braun.

Rigler is equipped with supplies such as food, a mattress, a pillow, a safety harness vest, and his phone.

“We did manage to get some power so that he’s heated so he won’t freeze, because obviously it’s quite cold out, but he’ll come down throughout the weekend to use the wash and grab some food. And people are welcome to come and meet him and say hi,” said Braun.

Rising Above Ministry is a non-profit dedicated to helping people struggling with addiction. 

“We want the community to be aware that there’s an addiction treatment center here in Fort St John to serve women, to help them break cycles of defeat,” says Braun.

Braun encourages people to visit the Rising Above Ministry website to learn about the crane event and their organization.