Common Ground Films

09/22/2026

🏔️ Lonnie Bedwell just checked a mountain off his bucket list.

Back when he was stationed in Idaho with the Navy, Lonnie used to drive past the Tetons and wonder what it would feel like to stand on top. This past Tuesday, he and a group of friends got to the summit of the Grand.

The way down had a scare. A miscue on the rappel turned into Lonnie's first helicopter ride off a mountain. He's on the mend and doing well.

His response to the team when they got back to the base, "What took you so long?" 🤣

09/17/2026

Who will you bring to the table?

GO BEYOND is coming to The Woolery Mill on November 12, and while individual tickets are still just $100, we’re also looking for companies and organizations to join us as table sponsors.

Bring your team. Bring clients. Bring people who believe in big stories and what’s possible.

And for companies with veterans on your team, we’d especially love for you to consider inviting them. Lonnie Bedwell is a Navy veteran, and we’re creating a special opportunity to recognize veterans joining us that evening.

Together, we’ll hear from Lonnie Bedwell, share dinner and drinks, and screen select scenes from Beyond Vision as he works toward becoming the first blind person and the first Hoosier to complete the Explorers Grand Slam.

We’re building a room of 300 people around this story, and we’d love your company at the table.

November 12 | 6 PM
The Woolery Mill | Bloomington, Indiana

Reserve your table or grab your individual tickets:
https://www.commongroundfilms.org/gobeyond

Help us fill the room.

09/14/2026

Whether you’ve followed Lonnie Bedwell’s story for years or are just discovering him, November 12 is a night you’ll want to be part of.

GO BEYOND is bringing 300 people together at the Woolery Mill for an unforgettable evening benefiting Beyond Vision and the next chapter of Lonnie’s story.

Hear from Lonnie Bedwell. See an exclusive look at Beyond Vision. Meet the filmmakers. Have dinner with us. And be part of helping bring this story to the world.

Our goal is simple: fill the room.

Early bird tickets end TOMORROW, September 15.

Come with friends. Bring your team. Sponsor a table. Come celebrate Lonnie and experience Beyond Vision with us.

November 12 | One World at Woolery Mill | Bloomington

Tickets + table sponsorships:
https://www.commongroundfilms.org/gobeyond

Help us fill the room.

09/12/2026

He has stood on the highest point of every continent. He still doesn't miss a Hoosiers game.

Lonnie Bedwell will be cheering on the this season, and so are we.

Last June, Lonnie spoke to the Indiana Football team and the Men's and Women's Basketball teams in the at . He talked about climbing the tallest peak on every continent, about meeting adversity head on, and about how losing his eyesight gave him clearer vision.

A lot has changed since then. Some of the guys who stayed after to shake his hand are in the NFL now (congratulations, Fernando Mendoza), and the rest are back in Bloomington defending a title. Lonnie has one expedition left of his own: a trek to the North Pole in spring 2027 that would make him the first blind person to complete the Explorers Grand Slam.

Thank you again to Indiana University Athletics, Hoosiers Connect, and Cook Medical for making that day possible.

🦬 GO HOOSIERS! 🦬

Credits:
🎥 Matthew Dillman, Mallorey Daunhauer
🎤 Ben Frazier
🖌️ Bear Ochs
🖼️ Alex Paul

09/08/2026

We’re one week out from the end of early bird pricing for Go Beyond 2026! 🌟

Join us November 12 at The Woolery Mill for an evening celebrating big dreams, bold adventures, and the people who refuse to let limitations define what’s possible.

This year, we’re helping Lonnie Bedwell get one step closer to the North Pole as he works toward becoming the first blind person to complete the Explorers Grand Slam. His journey is also the final chapter of Beyond Vision, a story we’ve been honored to help tell.

If you’ve been thinking about joining us, we’d love to see you at the table. Bring a friend, bring your team, or simply come be part of the story.

Early bird pricing ends September 15.

📅 6 PM, Thursday, November 12, 2026
📍 The Woolery Mill, Bloomington, Indiana

Grab your seat and Go Beyond with us.

09/07/2026

08/20/2026

Save the date!

On Thursday, November 12, we're gathering at One World at Woolery Mill in Bloomington for Go Beyond, a benefit dinner raising the final funds to send blind Navy veteran Lonnie Bedwell to the North Pole, the last leg of his Explorers Grand Slam.

Lonnie lost his sight in a hunting accident in 1997. Since then he's completed the first blind descent of the Grand Canyon and climbed all seven summits. He's one expedition away from becoming the first blind person to complete the Explorers Grand Slam, and the North Pole is also the final scene we need to complete Beyond Vision, our feature documentary telling his story.

Every ticket is a donation. So your seat at the table goes directly toward getting Lonnie to the Pole and finishing the film.

Here's what the night includes:

🥂 VIP Lounge with Lonnie
🍽️ Cocktails + dinner
🎙️ Filmmaker panel
🏆 Silent auction
🎬 Exclusive first look at scenes from the film

Early bird tickets are on sale now through September 15. Sponsorship packages are also available for anyone who wants to go beyond just attending and become part of the mission.

📅 6 PM, Thursday, November 12, 2026
📍 The Woolery Mill, Bloomington, Indiana

Tickets and sponsorships at https://www.commongroundfilms.org/gobeyond

08/20/2026

We're honored IDOC Wabash Valley Correctional Facility invited Lonnie to share his story with their community. Hope and resilience like his remind us why we tell these stories in the first place. Thank you to Wabash Valley Correctional Facility for having him, and to everyone following along on Lonnie's journey.

08/12/2026

98.5 the River in Terre Haute is talking about Lonnie Bedwell's upcoming North Pole expedition this week.

If the name sounds familiar from more than just the news, it might be because Lonnie's already been on the air. He was featured on the The American Legion National Headquarters podcast Tango Alpha Lima , talking through his climbing career and what's led him to this final leg of the Explorers Grand Slam.

He's no stranger to a crowd either. Earlier this year he caught a Pacers game with Common Ground Films board member Chelsea Sanders, Bosma Enterprises CEO Jeffrey Mittman, and Bondry Consulting President Oscar Gutierrez.

Read the coverage on 98.5's website.

08/07/2026

WBIW in Bedford is calling Lonnie Bedwell's North Pole expedition what it is: an attempt at history, the final piece of the Explorers Grand Slam.

Here's a piece of Lonnie's story that predates any of this year's headlines. Every year, he looks forward to speaking to the 8th grade class at Eastern Greene Middle School. He can’t wait for those visits, sitting down with the kids, answering their questions, and teaching them whatever he can.

Read the coverage below 👇

DUGGER — Indiana native and blind U.S. Navy veteran Lonnie Bedwell is embarking on a grueling ski expedition to the Geographic North Pole—a final, monumenta ...