Rice in the D started in 2015 as the vision of a small group of Brother Rice Alumni and Dads who wanted to hold a “Men’s Night” to support tuition assistance. In recognizing the need to enroll a talented and diverse student body, the primary goal was to make an immediate impact by supporting annual tuition assistance and also raising funds for the Brother Rice Endowment Fund to secure the future of our school. It is our founder’s promise and the very heart of our mission – to pass on a Brother Rice Education from one generation to the next.
Since its inception, Rice in the D has generated tuition assistance support totaling more than $1,950,000, with $460,800 raised this year on October 6th. The success of this meaningful and impact-driven event would not be possible without the generosity of the more than 350 grads, dads, and friends in attendance, including our 2022 honoree Dave Morrow ’89 and the three anonymous alumni who provided our $100,000 matching gift challenge year for which we are ever grateful.
“This is where it all started for me. I want to thank Brother Rice for giving me the tools to have the success that I have had in my life. For me, what is most important now, is trying to pay it forward.”
Dave Morrow ’89 – Brother Rice Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Speech 2017
Few alumni embody the Brother Rice Warrior spirit as much as Dave Morrow ’89. Dave was a talented student-athlete and a natural leader on and off the field. As a student, he was Senior Class President, a stand-out captain of the Hockey team, and a captain of the undefeated State & Midwest Championship Lacrosse Team. An All-American HS Lacrosse player, Dave went on to attend Princeton University, where he became one of the best players in the nation and arguably in the history of lacrosse. Dave’s collegiate accomplishments are numerous and include; All-American(1st Team 1992,1993, 3rd Team 1991), All-Ivy League (1991,1992,1993), Ivy League Champions (1992,1993), NCAA National Champion (1992), as well as individual awards as the Most Outstanding College Defenseman and Most Outstanding College Player, an honor equivalent to the Heisman Trophy of lacrosse.
Dave learned early on the importance of hard work and innovation. From his foundational days at Brother Rice and the lessons learned working in his father’s machine shop, Dave developed a drive for excellence, winning spirit, and “whatever it takes” work ethic that he honed during his time at Princeton University and beyond as he built a successful business and a global sports brand.
In 1992, Dave founded Warrior Lacrosse. The company name is derived from his roots as a student-athlete at Brother Rice. Warrior started as the first manufacturer of titanium lacrosse shafts, revolutionizing the game due to the stick’s weight and durability. Dave and his Princeton teammates highlighted the breakthrough shafts while playing in college. In the following years, Dave’s company became a global sports brand specializing in hockey and lacrosse equipment. In 2004, Warrior was sold to New Balance, and Dave took over the position of President and CEO of their Warrior Sports Division.
In the Community, Dave and Warrior have been known to support many charitable organizations with financial and equipment donations through the years.
At Brother Rice, Dave’s generosity and philanthropy have taken many forms. He has been generous with his time, always willing to share his experience and advice with young Warriors on campus and through the lacrosse program, as Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 2009 and as the Keynote speaker for our Baccalaureate Dinner in 2014. Inducted into the Brother Rice Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017, Dave Morrow was the lead donor for Ambrose Field (2005), our first synthetic turf lacrosse field. Dave’s gift was the largest gift by an alumnus in the history of Brother Rice at that time. Since his transformative gift more than a decade ago, Dave has continued to be a steadfast donor, annually supporting tuition assistance and the Brother Rice Endowment Fund. Dave’s commitment to our mission is a vivid testament to the values he prioritizes in his life as a family man, a teammate, a friend, a competitor, an entrepreneur, and a Warrior.
We proudly honor and pay tribute to a Lifetime Warrior, David Morrow ’89.
Rice in the D Photo Gallery
Brother Rice High School is a National Blue Ribbon School and ranked the #1 Catholic High School in Michigan for four consecutive years. A proud private educational institution located in Bloomfield Hills.