Documentary Film contribution from Logan Smalley and Darius Goes West!

By josh | Published: June 22, 2009

We’re very grateful to have received a contribution in honor of Logan Smalley and Darius Goes West, an award-winning documentary film and movement to end Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy, the leading genetic killer of young men in the world. You owe it to yourself to buy a DVD of this incredibly moving, uplifting, funny and heartbreaking documentary. $17 of the purchase price goes directly to research on stopping this disease. Join Logan and Darius and support our documentary by Donating to Moving Windmills, too!

Here is Logan:

Next up in the series Darius Goes West: Crew Profiles, it’s Director and Editor, Logan Smalley…

Darius Goes West started in Logan’s brain; he was the first crew-member to have the idea to capture some of the love and quest for change that Darius embodies.

Now, he serves as a kind of “promo-man” for all things Darius Goes West.

Logan does a lot of the public speaking for DGW…

…coordinates community members eager to support the cause…

…helps produce DGW content, like the blog and videos…

and frightens any young children we come across on the road. (Just kidding–the baby is actually crying because of some of the crew-members’ scary facial hair.)

Logan was a Special Education major at the University of Georgia, and recently received a Masters in education from Harvard University.

He uses what he learned in school to try meet the challenges of expanding the DGW Foundation, and he uses his phone (constantly) to try and encourage wide-spread adoption of this year’s one million DVD goal.

His job can get a little tiring…

…okay, REALLY tiring.

But fatigue is not an issue when one is pursuing their passion….

especially when that pursuit involves working with loved ones like his brother Ben (left) on a shared goal.

The supporters, both old and new, are the source of Logan’s motivation…

…especially the supporters who understand that the simple act of story-telling can combat a common and aggressive disease.

In the end, the hard work comes naturally, because Logan is lucky enough to take daily influence from the leader of this operation…

his life long friend, Darius “BigDaddy” Weems.

And here is Darius:

Darius Weems.

Darius is, obviously, the heart and soul of Darius Goes West, and the rest of the crew relies on his charisma and ability to inspire. He keeps the rest of us going.

He’s also an incredible communicator, and his smile is infectious. He’s becoming a pro with the press and with individuals.

Before the year-long, million-DVD goal started, D was a student at Clarke Central High School, where he graduated last spring.

His classmates and the community of Athens were so moved by Darius’s story that, when he crossed the stage at graduation, the 10,000 audience members gave him a roaring standing ovation. Check out the video above to see it.

Now, Darius works as a full-time ambassador, educating people about Duchenne muscular dystrophy, accessibility issues, and the value of determination and friendship.

He relies heavily on his mom, Jamie, for love and direction. They miss each other when Darius is on the road, but they talk on the phone every other day.

D has a passion for music, especially rap, and he is blossoming into an incredible artist.

His drive to affect future generations of people with DMD is relentless, and Darius sees music as one way he can reach out to more people to help him with his cause.

In his free time, Darius loves to swim. In the pool, he’s mobile, and the beach is still one of Darius’s favorite places in the world.

Darius is ecstatic that his movie enables him to affect DMD. He loves the fact that he gets to travel to spread the word. And he’s also grateful that he can do so with his friends.