Fun that doesn't come in a bottle

West Allis - Winterfest could be the best family fun bargain in town, but its value isn't merely measured in dollars.

The fun and games all come courtesy of the Community Alliance Against Drugs, whose mission is to help keep families strong by holding fun events all year that all families can afford and by keeping youths away from more questionable entertainment.

"We feel if families are doing things together, kids will know there are alternatives to events that involve alcohol," said alliance president Karen Stiles.

The night of swimming, basketball, volleyball and dancing will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Nathan Hale High School, 11601 W. Lincoln Ave. There also will be inflatables to bounce on and slide on, face painting and plenty of food available.

Lots of families and kids come to events that CAAD throws. Some 500 to 1,000 people come to its alcohol-free New Year's Eve party, and hundreds are expected at Saturday's Winterfest.

Active diversions

The Community Alliance Against Drugs has the strong support of police, with many officers coming on their off-time to be part of alliance events.

One of them is Lt. Ed Benish, who as head of the department handling juvenile crime sees kids who have gone wrong every day. He believes in building strong families.

"Families who do things as families are more inclined to be closer to each other," Benish said, adding that the children are less inclined to drift off and get into trouble.

The alliance has been around since the early 1990s, but it's not the alliance your parents used to know.

An influx of new vibrant leaders has brought new ideas for events, especially those appealing to teens.

One of them was the extremely popular Halloween event that started two years ago. The hayrides, bonfire, outdoor spooky movie, crafts and costume contest attracted as many as 2,000 kids and parents last year.

In recent years, the alliance also added a walk/run on the Milwaukee Mile race track and an outdoor movie nights at LaFollette Park, Stiles said.

Another new event, Tuesdays in the Park, held during the summer also attracts teen interest with its DJ and karaoke, pizza, and sports, Stiles said.

Benish makes it a point to be part of those Tuesdays in the Park.

"It's nice to see all the teens out there enjoying themselves," he said.

To him, every event is a sign of hope.

"After every event, I feel like we've really accomplished something," Benish said.

Besides the many regular CAAD events, other impromptu activities come about.

"We may do a Brewers game, if it becomes available," Stiles said.

A trip to a Milwaukee Wave soccer game will take place Feb. 12. The afternoon outing includes bus transportation, lunch and a Wave ticket valued at $19, all for $5. More information is available from Pat Kompas at (414) 302-8050.

Building an alliance

The alliance is supported completely by memberships and donations. Memberships of $10 per individual or $20 per family allow free admission to many CAAD events.

Many businesses donate cash or products. Pepsi Cola, for example, donated 500 cans of soda to the Halloween event last year, Stiles said. Civic and church groups also donate money and volunteers and many volunteers come from the community.

It's hard to tell from police statistics how much of an impact CAAD is having, particularly with its more energetic efforts still fairly new to the scene.

Juvenile arrests for alcohol and marijuana have indeed plummeted since 2006, said Police Lt. Chad Evenson. But at the same time, police have seen a big jump in abuse of prescription drugs.

Still, the juvenile arrest statistics for alcohol and marijuana are impressive. The number of alcohol arrests went from 149 in 2006 to 89 last year, he said. And marijuana arrests went from 105 in 2006 to 52 last year.

The CAAD efforts had to be part of those drops, said Evenson, who believes that without CAAD the problem would have been worse.

CADD FUN AT A GLANCE

The tentative schedule of Community Alliance Against Drugs events for 2012:

February - Winterfest, Nathan Hale, 6:30 to 9: 30 p.m. Feb. 4; Milwaukee Wave soccer game, 2 to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 12

March - Sports Night, date and location to be determined

April - Sports Night , date and location to be determined

May - To be determined

June - LaFollette Park Movie Night at LaFollette Park, June 8; Tuesday Night in the Park, police substation, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. June 12 and 26

July - Tuesday Night in the Park, substation, July 10; National Night Out at the Farmer's Market, July 23; National Night Out Neighborhood Gatherings, July 24

August - Movie Swim Night, date and location to be determined; Tuesday Night in the Park, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 7 and 21

September - School starts

October - CAAD Fitness Run/Walk/Bike, location (may not be the Milwaukee Mile) and date to be determined; Halloween at Greenfield Park, date and time to be determined

November - Movie Night, location and time to be determined

December - New Years Eve Family Night, 6:30 to 11 p.m., West Allis Central High School