DARIUS GOES WEST

why it's important:

In 2005, at age 15, Darius left his home state of Georgia for the first time. With the help of 11 of his best friends, he rented a wheelchair accessible RV and took the ultimate road trip.

This journey had four major goals: (1) To raise awareness of DMD, particularly among a younger generation not familiar with Jerry Lewis and his annual telethon for muscular dystrophy, (2) To raise funds for DMD research, (3) To test wheelchair accessibility across America, AND (4) To reach Los Angeles and convince MTV's popular show, "Pimp My Ride" to customize his wheelchair.

Traveling over 7,000 miles, Darius and his crew discovered joy, brotherhood, and the knowledge that life, even when imperfect, is always worth the ride.

the plan of action:

Darius's trip was filmed from start to finish and edited into a 90-minute documentary called "Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life" In 2007, while Darius was completing his senior year of high school, his documentary won an unprecedented 28 film festival awards worldwide.

At nearly every screening, educators would come up to Darius and his crew and ask how they could share this film with their students. So, in January of 2008, with the help of a few teachers, the Darius Goes West "Know About It" (a tagline Darius uses in the film at the end of each rap he performs) educational program was launched. The DGW "Know About It" program provides lesson plans in many subjects (Science, English, Social Studies, Health, Math, etc.) that go with the film and are geared to 6th through 12th grade.

Also in 2008, Darius Goes West was released on DVD. Although there were offers from film companies to distribute DGW commercially, Darius and his crew decided to remain independent and sell DVDs online at their website. That way, $7 of every $10 DVD could go directly to DMD research. Darius appeared on "Nightline," "The Today Show," and "Ellen DeGeneres," which boosted DVD sales. Also, middle and high school students who watched DGW began rallying around his cause by organizing fundraisers. Collectively, these schools raised nearly $100,000 in 2008 alone!

On September 27, 2008, Darius turned 19, the same age his brother Mario was when he lost his battle with DMD. Instead of dwelling on this, Darius opted to celebrate his 19th year by doing something positive. He and his crew launched an ambitious campaign called "One Million DVDs...One Year," and hit the road...again.

how you can get involved:

• Buy a DVD! Remember, that $7 of each $10 DVD purchase goes to DMD research. DVDs are available at www.dariusgoeswest.org
• Host a screening of Darius Goes West. You can do this in your school, in your community, and even in your living room. Check out the "host a screening" link at our website for tips. www.dariusgoeswest.org
• Organize a fundraiser for Darius Goes West.
• Take the Goslabi Challenge! Check it out at www.goslabi.org
• Become Darius's friend on Facebook (look for Darius O. Weems)
  

videos: