GRAH Fundraiser
The millisecond it took for the scuba tank to explode changed the lives of Rick Allen and Cindy Burnham forever.
The night of January 3, a canister of compressed oxygen blew up their Fayetteville home, shaking the walls and the couple to their very foundation. Despite severe burns, smoke inhalation and a severed hand, Rick and Cindy stayed calm and doused fires around them.
As Rick was rushed to the hospital, he looked up at the EMT and asked if he’d ever be able to play piano with one hand.
When the EMT responded with uncertainty, Rick quipped, “Great! Because I was never able to play the piano with two…”
This fighting spirit as well as exceptional medical care has rick well on his way from being a critically ill patient at the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center to getting back on his feet as a video producer, director and videographer specializing in underwater projects…work he now has to do without his left arm.
On Oct. 2, 2011, friends and family of Cindy and Rick raised money for Rick’s prosthetic arms and medical expenses, which will help get him back in the water and filming around the world. This private fundraising “party of the century” was held at Fox Hollow Residence and Gardens in Fayetteville, and it included local bands, delicious cuisine, a silent auction and a few surprises along the way. Months ago, as we all sat and pondered a name for the event, one of Rick’s good-humored friends suggested the title,“Give Rick a Hand.”
