More than $200K raised for father and son who were struck by a vehicle in Sherwood Park
The community is rallying around a Sherwood Park man and his son who were hit by a vehicle earlier this week.
Ryan Brodziak, his infant son Ozzy, and his dog Gouda were hit by a vehicle driven by a 66-year-old man while walking on a sidewalk on Georgian Way on Tuesday.
Police say the vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic, jumped the curb, and ended up on a lawn.
A GoFundMe page set up for the family says Brodziak suffered a "significant spinal cord injury," and remains paralyzed.
Eleven-month-old Ozzy suffered a skull fracture.
Gouda was taken to a vet with minor injuries and has since been released.
Ryan Brodziak (Source: GoFundMe)
Brodziak is a well-known restaurateur in the Edmonton metro area who's been involved in ventures such as The Local Omnivore, Gravy and the Pink Gorilla pizzeria.
Last winter, he biked 165 kilometres to raise thousands of dollars for Boyle Street Community Services.
His brother is former Edmonton Oiler Kyle Brodziak.
The fundraiser for the family had raised $190,000 by Thursday afternoon with 1,700 donations.
"Money is not going to make the problem go away, but it definitely helps," family friend John Iatridis told CTV News Edmonton on Thursday.
"If he doesn't have to worry about any financial burdens, he can concentrate on healing and getting better and getting back to where he needs to be for his wife, his son and himself."
Iatridis has known Brodziak since they were teenagers.
"He was just always polite and a happy guy, just a good, positive attitude all the time. And he's just stayed like that," Iatridis said of his friend.
"He's a sweet guy, and I know he'll come through this."
Peter Nguyen, the co-owner of Sea Change Brewery, has known Brodziak for 20 years.
"We never really want to live in a state of fear, but in the blink of an eye, something can change so quickly," he said.
"He's just been the nicest human being. Whether you've seen him yesterday or you haven't seen him in years, he's just a welcoming guy."
Crystal Power, owner of Caffreys In The Park, also donated to the fundraiser.
She doesn't know Brodziak personally felt it was important to support the cause.
"I knew that he was a restaurant owner. I have been to that restaurant, and I know multiple people who have worked with him in the past at other places," she told CTV News Edmonton.
"There's the six degrees of separation, but also he's a small business owner himself, and I definitely relate to that."
Police say the man driving the vehicle that hit Brodziak wasn't injured.
Speed and alcohol are not believed to be factors in the crash.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Miriam Valdes-Carletti
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.7033237.1726023999!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Harris-Trump U.S. presidential debate offers different visions for America's future
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump made their case to American voters during a debate in Philadelphia, during which the Democratic U.S. vice president and former Republican U.S. president laid out different visions for America's future.
Key quotes from the Trump-Harris 2024 U.S. presidential debate
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris and former U.S. president Donald Trump took the stage on Tuesday night for their first and only scheduled presidential debate before the Nov. 5 election.
FACT CHECK: A look at the false and misleading claims made during the Trump-Harris debate
In their first and perhaps only debate, former U.S. president Donald Trump and U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris described the state of the country in starkly different terms. As the two traded jabs, some old false and misleading claims emerged along with some new ones.
Trump campaign falsely accuses immigrants in Ohio of abducting and eating pets
Former U.S. president Donald Trump’s campaign and his allies are amplifying false rumours that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were abducting and eating pets, another instance of the inflammatory and anti-immigrant rhetoric Trump has promoted throughout his campaigns.
Most of Canada is predicted to have a warmer-than-normal fall: The Weather Network
Don't put away your summer wardrobe just yet – The Weather Network says most Canadians are in for a warm fall.
U.S. presidential historian predicts results of November elections. Here's who he says will win
An American presidential historian is predicting a Kamala Harris presidency as the outcome of the upcoming U.S. elections in November.
Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris for U.S. president after debate ends
Taylor Swift, one of the music industry's biggest stars, endorsed Kamala Harris for president shortly after the debate ended on Tuesday night.
Some restaurants have increased their default tip options. Canadians think you should give this much
Despite what the default options on the payment terminal might read, most Canadians still want to tip around 15 per cent, according to a new survey.
Dave Grohl says he fathered a child outside of his marriage
The Foo Fighters frontman announced that he recently became a father again, writing in a statement on his Instagram page on Tuesday that his new baby girl was born 'outside' of his marriage to his wife Jordyn Blum.