The inspiring documentary film "Right to Risk: A 15-Day Journey Through Arizona's Grand Canyon" premiered on the big screen in Seattle and Washington, D.C. in March, and the Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau was proud to co-sponsor both events.
This hour-long independent film follows eight men and women with disabilities on a 225-mile whitewater rafting trip down the Colorado River. It is a profile in courage and a testament to open-mindedness, and it is set against the majestic backdrop, Arizona's grandest landmark.
The rafters' disabilities are significant -- blindness, cerebral palsy, paraplegia, quadriplegia, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis -- and the film demands viewers consider this question: Do all individuals, regardless of their physical limits, have the right to choose what they are willing to risk in pursuit of their dreams?
More than 100 viewers watched "Right to Risk" and attended a Q&A with its director, Kathleen Jo Ryan, when the film showed at the Seattle Public Library's Microsoft Auditorium on March 6. A crowd of almost 150, which included Ryan and several of the subjects of the film, attended the D.C. premiere, which was held March 28 in the National Geographic Society's Grosvenor Auditorium.
"Right to Risk" showcases Arizona's natural beauty and contributes to Governor Janet Napolitano's goal of reclaiming the Grand Canyon as the state's signature landmark. The premiere events educated curious audience members about the City of Phoenix's Adaptive Recreation Services program, which in 1991 co-sponsored the first National Park Service-sanctioned Grand Canyon raft trips for people with significant disabilities. Several river guides and volunteers from Greater Phoenix have been making these trips happen ever since.
"Right to Risk" received major funding from the Greater Phoenix CVB, the Arizona Office of Tourism and Nordstrom. The film was also made possible by the efforts of volunteers from the City of Phoenix, River of Dreams, Arizona River Runners, Arizona Raft Adventures and Canyon Explorations.
