For political activist Richard Propes, The Tenderness Tour is more than an annual event it is a mission that impacting countless lives. Now, Prope’s story comes to the big screen, with the documentary set to make it’s world premiere next month.
The film tells the story of Indianapolis activist Propes and his most ambitious challenge yet. Propes is a disability rights advocate who has traveled over 6,000 miles since 1989 by wheelchair in order to end violence in the lives of children and support improving the lives of those less fortunate.
For over 30 years, Propes has hosted an annual “Tenderness Tour,” a wheelchair journey across Indiana and beyond in order to raise financial support and awareness for various communities. This tour has been described by many to be a symbol of hope, while inspiring the world.
“When I heard about Richard and his mission, I was inspired and determined to amplify what he’s doing to help families struggling with medical debt,”
Executive Producer Mike Manning.
Propes latest mission is to raise one million dollars to help offset $155 million in Indiana medical debt. To put this in context, according to reports by local Fox affiliate, Fox59, in 2024, nearly 12% of state residents hold some type of medical debt, ranking the state in the top 10 of most medical debt. Thus, this is an ambitious, and necessary, goal is only compounded as Propse has never raised more than $20,000 in a single effort.
The Tenderness Tour was filmed across multiple locations throughout Indiana and captures Propse humor, resilience, and the persistent Hoosiers he meets along the way.
“Richard’s ambitious goal to erase $155 million in medical debt for his fellow Hoosiers exemplifies the kind of community-driven action we need to tackle this country’s medical debt crisis, which unfortunately is only getting worse,” said Undue Medical Debt president and CEO Allison Sesso.
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Exclusive Scene
In an exclusive scene (seen below), Propes shares “I think I get closer to who I really am when I’m on the road. I feel a lot more connected. Connected to nature, connected to people.”
The activist continued, “The disability feels less relevant. Living in a world where disability can be so often seen as a negative, seen as a burden, seen as a tragedy. When I’m on the road, it’s just part of who I am. This is who I am. This is how I was made, and this is perfectly fine and actually pretty amazing. The feeling that I get is not a feeling I get anywhere else. And it seems to be integral to who I am. I like that person an awful lot and it’s pretty glorious.”
Propes Fundraising Campaign
Propes’s fundraising campaign is made possible through a partnership with the national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt. This organization buys and erases medical debts for everyday people. On average one dollar donated erases $100 of medical debt. As of 2023, the organization has reportedly abolished over $10 billion dollars of medical debt.
Who is behind ‘The Tenderness Tour’ Film
The Andie Redwine directed documentary and produced by Edward Paul Fry, Denis Henry Hennelly, and Emmy-award winning actor Mike Manning, along with executive producers Seth Maxwell and Jeffrey L. Sparks,
The world premiere screening of The Tenderness Tour will take place on October 11, 2025, at the Heartland International Film Festival in Indianapolis, with Propes, the director, and the filmmaking team in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.
Ticket information is available here.
