A Big Thank You!
Our 5th Annual River Runner Film Festival & Auction held on April 8, 2005 was our most successful fundraiser to date! The new venue at the Museum of Northern Arizona was wonderful and the turn-out substantial. We’d like to thank all of the artists, vendors, volunteers (including 20 youth) donors and buyers who made the event a success. The River Runner Film Fest will be moving to the fall sometime as spring is just getting too busy for gcy with an increasing number of trips. The film festival will be in partnership with the Paddler Magazine film fest which is exciting. There will still be room for local and regional film makers to submit their films. We’ll keep you posted as to the new date and thanks again for supporting Grand Canyon Youth!

Welcome Emily Moeschler!
Grand Canyon Youth is pleased to announce the hiring of our new Assistant Director, Emily Moeschler. She comes to gcy right as our season is really picking up and is going to be a huge help. Emily is a recent graduate of Prescott College and has worked for pro and Mad River Rafting in Jackson Hole. She serves on the Board of Directors at Camp Colton and has worked with Arizona’s Children Association. Her enthusiasm and commitment will compliment the gcy team.

2005 Program Update
As of the end of April, gcy already had six river programs on the water and back. These programs have been with a variety of groups including middle school youth from Texas and Tucson, and a group of young women from Williams. In addition we had our 4th annual Hopi Youth program. Our first Grand Canyon trip with Canyoneers also went on the water at the end of the month. All of these exciting programs and we aren’t even a third of the way through the season!

Thank You, Rob Elliott!
Grand Canyon Youth owes part of our newly increased capacity to Rob Elliott. The azra San Juan River permit was gifted to Northern Arizona University in collaboration with Grand Canyon Youth at the end of March. This profound gift of access is unprecedented in the outfitter community and should be commended. This gift has helped to create a mutually beneficial relationship between nau and gcy. Rob thank you for continuing your legacy of education and environmental stewardship.

Get Involved!
As always, your support, in whatever form you can give it, is much appreciated. To learn more about Grand Canyon Youth, to donate, to volunteer, or to guide please call Emma Wharton (928) 773-7921 or email info@gcyouth.org or check out our website, www.gcyouth.org. Our office is currently located in the same little house with gcrg, 515 W. Birch in Flagstaff. Again, thank you to all of our current supporters, you know who you are, thanks for all you do!

Parent Letter
This is a letter written by a parent of two gcy participants. It emphasizes some of the impacts a gcy trip can have on youth.

Some of today’s youth are moving into adulthood experiencing only what they can “get out” of something, and not what it is they can “give” to something. While our two teenaged daughters would not be considered “at-risk” youth if looking at their grades, athletics, and community involvement, it has been an important family goal to emphasize character and service. gcy has been a catalyst in both of their lives to find what they have to give to others. A gcy trip is a “giving” experience. The guides, leaders, and volunteers of gcy share their time, expertise, love of the outdoors and most of all their sense of wonder for the world around them. In turn, the youth must give of themselves in the community, educational, and participation as part of the gcy trips. The youth do not just experience the trip, they live it. Isn’t that the whole experience that life is all about?

Laurie Steinhaus
parent