Rising Sun club provides a healthy alternative

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When the sun starts to set in Edmonton, the Rising Sun Club begins its day offering an alternative social scene for people of all ages. Rising Sun is alternative in the sense that you won't see alcohol being served at the club and at 10 p.m. the disc jockey asks people 16 years of age and under to go home.

The club opened it doors in late June and is being filled to the rafters on weekends with people who just want a place to hang out. Located on 95 Street and 117 Avenue, the club is accessible to people who may not have anywhere else to go to enjoy what the club offers.

"We realized there was missing pieces of the puzzle in the recovery process. The reality is people don't follow through [on addictions recovery] because of the lack of alternatives," said Jim Nakano, director of Rising Sun. He believes that families have to be part of a therapeutic community to address the problems they are having.

While teens and youngsters are hanging out in the club downstairs, playing pool and listening to their current favorite songs, moms and dads, even Kookums, are upstairs taking part in the weekly discussion support group with trained facilitators, said Nakano. The discussion groups give people a chance to talk about what they need to and know that their kids are in a safe place, said the outspoken director. The club offers a little of everything from drum lessons to dance lessons and evenings dedicated to old rock and roll for the mature group.

The idea for the club came from the Fresh Start Recovery Society and the Bent Arrow Healing Society. Nakano, who is the founder of the Fresh Start program, talked about the collaboration between the programs and the families who use the service as being an extremely positive experience for everyone involved.

"The families that are involved in the day program renovated the space and turned it into a place for themselves," said Nakano. That involved hours of work, cleaning, painting and refurbishing the basement club. The space for the club is donated from the owner of the building and, so far, getting volunteers has not been a problem.

"Unless it causes trouble, the community doesn't really notice a place like this club," said Constable Simon Yum, a beat police officer out of the Eastwood police station. It may seem like the squeaky wheel situation, but Yum sees the club as something positive for the community. He said it will take some time to see what effect the club has on the community and its youth. Any place that offers a safe haven for youth to hang out in is good, he said.

"I love the idea behind it, because it gives people a place to go," said Gordon Stamp, executive director of the Alberta Avenue Business Association. Stamp notices less people hanging around on the street around 118 Avenue. The association heard a presentation from the club at a meeting in June.

Stamp said his association has promoted the club in their community newsletter since its opening and is willing to support clubs like Rising Sun to the city of Edmonton. Anything to keep a place like this around, said Stamp, although he did point out they could not offer any form of material donations to the club.

"The kids are really good when you let them know they are special and respected. They respond to that," said Linda Longmore, manager of the club. She admits it takes a while to let them know that there are boundaries here, but said there hasn't been much of a problem with that.

The club operates with funding from several of the charitable organization in Edmonton.