Fundraiser for Cindy and Rick

Hank Parfitt, longtime dive buddy, doctor and co-owner of City Center Gallery & Books in Fayetteville, has come up with a great fundraising event for Rick and Cindy. Photo prints by Cindy and Johnny Horne sold at City Center, and prints by Cindy sold at Olympus Dive Shop in Morehead City will benefit the Get Well Rick Fund — the total amount, including commission, will be donated.

Here are all the details from Hank:

“The bad news about Rick and Cindy came in a phone call early on Tuesday, January 4 from Matt Blashfield, their neighbor and good friend. Rick was already in the OR at North Carolina Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill and Cindy was just out of the emergency room here. There wasn’t much that I could do. I went on over to Rick and Cindy’s that morning to keep Matt company. We watched over the damaged house and waited for the people from the insurance company.

“That evening, after the gaping holes that had been garage doors were boarded up, we moved two truckloads of Rick’s videotapes, DVD’s, and computer hard drives to a safe location. Two days later, we moved a bunch of Cindy’s photographic work. The insurance company said they would be responsible for everything in the house, but we wanted to get the irreplaceable stuff out of there.

“During that awful week, there was a lot of waiting and a lot of time to think. I mostly thought about the good times together with Rick and Cindy over the past 20 years. Our diving adventures have ranged from the North Carolina coast, where I often worked as “shark wrangler” for their photo and video shoots, to far-flung places like Truk Lagoon in the Pacific.   Our families usually got together for birthdays and holidays. Our kids, now grown, still refer to them as “Uncle Rick” and “Aunt Cindy.”

“I also thought about ways we could help. Days later, when we learned about the medical fund on www.getwellrick.com, I knew we had the answer. Our store, City Center Gallery & Books in downtown Fayetteville, features the work of local artists. Starting now and continuing until April, whenever we sell one of Cindy’s pictures we will donate our normal commission to the medical fund. In other words, all proceeds—all of the purchase price—will go to the fund. We are encouraging anyone who knows Rick and Cindy to come to the gallery or to contact us now about purchasing some of Cindy’s artwork.

“Our selection includes not only her dynamic photographic prints, but also her posters and note cards. We still have her posters of the Great White leaping out of the water at False Bay, South Africa and posters of the U-352. The German sub is usually obscured by thousands of bait fish, but Cindy’s shot is one of only two known images that show a clear view of the wreck without the fish. Photographic prints for sale include other underwater pictures, coastal life, landscapes, and a series of macro photographs of flowers. Any of them would add a colorful and tasteful accent to a room.

“A good idea tends to spread. When we mentioned it to Johnny Horne, Cindy’s coworker at the FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER for 30 years and also a popular artist at City Center Gallery & Books, he said that he would like to donate his share of proceeds whenever one of his photographic prints is sold.  Also, Olympus Divers in Morehead City sells some of Cindy’s photographs and Rick’s underwater videos. When we mentioned our plan to the owner, Bobby Purifoy, he readily volunteered to donate his commission on the sale of these items.  For anyone who purchases a print or poster by Cindy or Johnny, The Pollitt Selection here in Fayetteville will give a 10% discount on framing.

“This is a great way for someone to get a nice work of art for themselves and to contribute to Rick’s medical fund all at the same time. For folks who live anywhere near Fayetteville or Morehead City, it would be best to come by to see the selection and pick out something for the home or for a friend. But we will also take orders by phone. The number to call is 910-678-8899 and our manager Laura will process the order. Sorry, we cannot post all of Cindy’s and Johnny’s artwork on the internet, but we can give a description of them over the phone and email pictures once the choices have been narrowed down. Now is the time to act because there are only a limited number of prints and posters left and it may be awhile before Cindy can get back to the darkroom!”

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