Thousands showed up to Planet Ice on Saturday to honour Const. Rick O’Brien with a smile.
One of those many smiling faces was that of O’Brien’s widow Nicole Longacre-O’Brien who said she was moved by the sheer amount of people from the community who showed up to celebrate her late husband’s legacy.
@tiktokwithtucker What a great way to celebrate a life gone far too soon #rickobrien #mountie #mapleridge #memorial ♬ BLUE - Billie Eilish
The Ridge Meadows RCMP officer was memorialized with the First Annual Cst. Rick O’Brien Joint Forces Jamboree, which pitted teams of local youth and first responders up against one another in an afternoon of recreational ball hockey.
Outside of the arena, there was also plenty for people to enjoy, including food trucks and more than a dozen booths with first responders and local community groups.
Despite the wet weather, people came out in droves to honour the officer who was shot and killed in the line of duty when executing a search warrant in Coquitlam last September.
READ MORE: Ridge Meadows Mountie killed, 2 other officers injured in Coquitlam incident
“I had a vision for this event and this exceeds it,” said Longacre-O’Brien. “I don’t think I can wipe the smile off of my face today because this is a reflection of how much love there is for Rick. It’s blown me away.”
One of the people to show Const. O’Brien some love was Supt. Wendy Mehat of the Ridge Meadows RCMP who delivered the opening speech of the event.
“Rick dedicated his life to serving our community and his love for children is unparalleled,” said Mehat.
She also pointed out that Const. O’Brien had a deep love of hockey and would have been so happy to have people celebrate his life with a ball hockey tournament.
With the inaugural tournament being such an overwhelming success, Longacre-O’Brien said she’s already looking forward to hosting it again next year.