Twelve visually impaired teens from the Foundation for Blind Children (FBC) recently experienced the ultimate outdoor adventure, which included rafting down the Colorado River and hiking the Grand Canyon.

Enjoying the challenge of the Grand Canyon and its mighty Colorado River are teenagers and their guides from the Foundation for Blind Children, based in North Central Phoenix (photo courtesy of the Foundation for Blind Children).

The teens, along with their guides and chaperones, set off from the FBC office at 1235 E. Harmont Drive on June 4 for their six-day experience. It was a chance for them to prove to themselves and so many other children with similar challenges that they are capable of anything they put their minds to.

The group got into their rafts at Lee’s Ferry the morning of June 5, then spent the next several days floating 89 miles downriver, with camping stops each night. The final leg of the journey was a 7.7-mile hike out of the Grand Canyon on June 10, going up the Bright Angel Trail at the South Rim.

Training, discipline, and courage are the foundations of these young students character, and this trip was a tribute to these visually impaired students and young adults who took on this challenge.

For more information about these teens’ amazing accomplishment and photos of the trip, visit www.FBCadventures.org.

The Foundation for Blind Children believes that vision loss is a diagnosis, not a disability. Its mission is to help anyone with vision loss to become independent and have a great quality of life. FBC provides services and support for all ages and community members with vision loss, and their families. For more information, visit www.seeitourway.org.