COEUR d’ALENE — There’s not a day that goes by without John Barron thinking of his late son, Josh.

But when the Barron family is out on the ice, Josh’s memory is especially vivid.

“We remember him all the time,” Barron said.

Josh played hockey for the Coeur d’Alene Thunder’s youth division until he was 18 and decided to enlist in the Marine Corps, where he became a crew chief.

“His job was to make sure everyone was safe,” Barron said.

Josh lost his life in a helicopter crash, unable to secure himself in time after ensuring his crew was buckled in as the helicopter went down. 

Josh's entire crew survived the crash because of his sacrifice.

The Barron family’s loss of their son was also felt by their hockey community, a network of young hockey players that grew up together and their families that cheered from the sidelines at Frontier Ice Arena.

“He was a great young man, and they’re a great family,” said Lindsay Gorrill.

His own sons had grown up playing alongside Josh within the Coeur d’Alene Hockey Association. Following Josh’s death, Gorrill felt compelled to do something to honor his memory and to surround the Barron family with community.

He was able to do exactly that — out on the ice, of course.

Saturday marked the 10th annual three-on-three tournament at Frontier Ice Arena, a fundraiser in Josh’s memory benefitting the Washington State Fallen Heroes Project, a Spokane-based nonprofit that supports families of post-9/11 military personnel who lost their lives during active duty.

Nearly 40 people took to the ice Saturday and raised over $6,000. The yearly tournaments have generated over $50,000 in total, Gorrill said, in addition to countless memories and unbreakable bonds. 

The beauty of the event is never lost on Barron and his family.  

“It means a lot,” he said. “We love it, we greatly appreciate it.”