White Rock, BC – With a wife, two young children, a career he loved and an active lifestyle, Richard Morrison could never have anticipated it would all change this spring.  On April 21, 2012 he stopped by a rink in Burnaby for a game of drop-in hockey as he often does, but this time, as he went in for a goal, he appeared to trip over a goalie pad plunging him headfirst into the boards behind the net.  The blow compressed his spine and broke it in two places.  He was rushed to hospital where he remains.  Although he may regain the use of his fingers, doctors expect that Richard will be quadriplegic for the rest of his life.

Brent Silzer, his close friend and colleague at Sutton Group – West Coast Realty in White Rock, was frequently on the ice with Richard.  “He loves the outdoors, hiking, camping, travelling and, clearly, playing and watching hockey was his number one passion when it came to sports.  He played every week and he put everything into it.  He played for the Titans hockey team with myself and a locker room of his best friends.  He played pickup when he had a spare hour before or after work.  He couldn’t get enough.”

The 47-year-old father and husband did not have disability insurance to cover the costs such as specialized medical equipment, a wheelchair accessible home, rehabilitation, and to compensate for the gap in family income.  As soon as Brent learned about Richard’s prognosis, he began planning a fundraiser and set up www.richardmorrisonfund.org so that people could make donations and receive updates on Richard’s progress.

A major fundraiser is set for June 6, 2012 at the Boston Pizza in White Rock.  Owner Jeff Wheatley has generously donated the venue, staff and food beginning at 7:45 p.m.  Tickets are $25 and include dinner, a beverage, a draw for a door prize, a silent auction and other activities.  Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.  Among the impressive list of silent auction items are a Sturgeon fishing trip with Rick Hansen, $1,500 in products from London Drugs, $500 Cactus Club gift certificates, original artwork, Nickelback tickets, golf packages, and much more.

Another upcoming fundraiser is a ‘Cut-a-thon’ on June 3, 2012 at the Hair Art Academy on 24th Avenue in South Surrey.  Owner Elke Ross will be offering hair cuts and styling by donation from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with all proceeds going to assist with Richard’s long-term care and recovery.

Sutton is a 100% Canadian-owned and operated company with more than 9,000 REALTORS® in over 200 offices nationwide.  To find out more about Sutton, visit www.sutton.com.  To learn more about Sutton Spirit, visit www.suttonspirit.com.

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Sutton Group Realty Services Ltd. Contact:

Mandy Siu                        604-691-1610              stories@suttonspirit.com

Sutton Group – West Coast Realty Contact:

Brent Silzer                       604-538-8888              bsilzer@sutton.com

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