Members of the public will soon be able to honour Const. Rick O’Brien in a way the sports fan would have appreciated, thanks to a memorial ball hockey tournament recently announced by the Joint Forces Foundation.
The Ridge Meadows RCMP constable was tragically shot and killed during a search warrant execution in Coquitlam on Sept. 22, 2023.
READ MORE: Ridge Meadows Mountie killed, 2 other officers injured in Coquitlam incident
Now, the Joint Forces Foundation wants to give not only the people of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, but also Coquitlam and Langley, which is where O’Brien lived with his wife and kids, the chance to celebrate the legacy of O’Brien while having some fun on the court.
Const. O’Brien’s wife Nicole Longacre-O’Brien has been instrumental in creating the tournament known as the Cst. Rick O’Brien Joint Forces Jamboree.
“The idea came from a conversation Rick and I had about 5 years ago,” said Longacre-O’Brien.
“We had talked about putting on a floor hockey tournament that had youth and police officers playing on the same team. We never really did anything about it, it was just an idea we had talked about when he was on UCRU [Uniformed Community Response Unit]. So when he passed away, my immediate thought was, ‘I’m going to do it babe! I’m going to create the event that we always imagined, in your honour’.”
She said that putting this event together has helped her process her grief and fulfill her late husband’s wish to bring together youth and law enforcement to build relationships and trust with the next generation.
“Building his legacy is the most important and most meaningful task I can do,” said Longacre-O’Brien.
READ ALSO: Family, first responders pay tribute to Const. Rick O’Brien
Although registration for the tournament only opened up on March 1, there has already been quite the outpouring of community support, explained Longacre-O’Brien.
“The response has been amazing but I’m not at all surprised because Rick was just as amazing and people saw it. People want to make good come from a horrible tragedy. I am so grateful and my heart is so full with all the businesses and people who have reached out wanting to help support me bring this idea to fruition.”
While there will be plenty of ball hockey played during the memorial tournament, Longacre-O’Brien said that the event is so much more than just that.
“We will have our First Responder Zone where families can come talk with all our first responders and check out all the cool vehicles that these heroes use on a daily basis,” she said.
“We also have our Kids Zone where we will have bouncy castles, bungee run, velcro wall, obstacle course, and sumo suits. And when everyone gets hungry, we also have food trucks available too.”
But before all of that, the event will kick off with an opening ceremony that will share Const. O’Brien’s story and explain the importance of the event.
At the Cst. Rick O’Brien Joint Forces Jamboree, teams will be formed for the six to nine, 12 to 14, and 15 to 18 age groups, with each team combining local youth and police officers. Each team will play two games, with all skill levels accepted.
Volunteers are needed for a variety of positions, with interested individuals invited to email alysen.cox@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
Anyone interested in sponsoring the event can send an email to nicobrien22@gmail.com.
The tournament will take place at Planet Ice in Maple Ridge from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 25.
Residents of Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Langley, and Coquitlam can register at www.jointforces.ca/registration.
READ ALSO: Man alleged to have killed Maple Ridge RCMP officer in court
Longacre-O’Brien said that while she’s very excited about the ball hockey tournament, it’s not the only thing she has planned.
“The jamboree is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to things that I’ll be doing to honour my husband,” she said.
“We didn’t deserve to lose him. The communities didn’t deserve to lose him. He was one of the good guys that truly wanted to make a difference. So I’m going to do what he set out to do, make positive change and create lasting relationships between youth and law enforcement.”
