'Rise Above' Strives to Promote Substance-Free Fun

The music in the gym at was thumping and the students were having fun – good, clean fun. And that's how Rise Above likes it – a dodgeball tournament to promote positive and safe fun, without the use of drugs or alcohol.

Nineteen teams of seven players each – with names like “MonStars,” “Swamp People,” “Swissers,” “Diamond Dodgers” and “Rec Ballers” – took part in the twice-a-year, double elimination dodgeball tournament, hosted by Rise Above.

Founded in 2007, Rise Above is a community-based student leadership group focused on encouraging positive choices, especially when it comes to drugs and alcohol, by sponsoring a variety of activities and acting as roles models for Ellington's student community. Rise Above is a subgroup of the Ellington Drug Abuse Prevention Council (DAPC).

“It was mainly to have a group of kids to act as role models to our peers to show them we can have a good time without drinking or drugs, and show them alternative ways to have a good time without being under the influence,” said Kelly Stauffer, one of Rise Above's founding student members.

“[Rise Above] has grown so much,” said group co-advisor Kathy Larew. “There were eight to ten [students] at that first meeting.” Now, the group averages 40 active members, she said, with sometimes as many as 100 students attending meetings. There are approximately a dozen core members, serving as the executive board, representing the sophomore, junior and senior classes at Ellington High.

“They are the decision-makers; we're just the advisors,” said Larew. “They're the real leaders of the group.”

Dodgeball isn't the only positive event Rise Above supports. The group also hosted a “March Madness” event last month, turning the high school into a teen center for the night, complete with NCAA games on TV screens, ping-pong, a giant Twister game (with mats donated by Milton Bradley) and board games; a billiards tournament in October, flag football in November; the two dodgeball tournaments for EHS students and one for students each year, with Rise Above high school members serving as line judges and positive role models for the younger students.

“[The middle schoolers] look forward to it because the high school kids are running it,” said Larew, noting the last time it was held, middle schoolers packed the gym. It also helped showcase the group to future EHS students.

“You get involved with a lot of stuff,” said freshman Sarah Rivard. In her first year at Ellington High and as a first-year member of Rise Above, she has taken part in the fall dodgeball tournament, the flag football game in November and helped wrap holiday gifts at Border's with the group.

“Its learning how to do fun things without getting involved with drugs and alcohol,” echoed freshman Rise Above member Rebecca Anderson, who along with Rivard, was part of the team “Don't Hit Us Because We're Beautiful.”

There is also another element to Rise Above that wasn't necessarily expected, but offers a positive impact on the community-at-large. Rise Above has found itself becoming a service group. They now run the children's games at the annual Ellington Fair on the Green, take part in a fall festival at Brookside Park and help run bingo games at Snipsic Village.

“We didn't start off with that intention, but we're evolving into that,” said Debbie Stauffer, Rise Above co-advisor and prevention coordinator for Ellington Youth Services Department.

For founding member Nick Larew, Rise Above has exceeded expectations.

“We had [about] 15 kids to start. Now it's huge. I'm surprised at how big it is now and how good it still is, even though the founding class graduated,” he said.

As for the dodgeball tournament, Nick's team “MonStars” won their second tournament of the year, besting “Swamp People” to take the spring title. Each member of “MonStars” took home a $30 Best Buy gift certificate, with second-place “Swamp People” taking home $20 Best Buy certificates and third-place "Rec Ballers" taking home $10 Best Buy certificates.

For more information on Rise Above, visit http://bethechange.ellington-ct.gov/.