The community of Grande Prairie united Sunday morning for a public memorial service to honour four teens that were killed in a collision on October 22.
People were waiting at the Crystal Centre early Sunday morning. The doors to the centre were opened at 10:15 a.m.
"I think over the last week we've been able to share our sorrows as a community," Mayor Bill Given said during the service.
"I hope that's helped in some way lighten the load."
Matt Deller, 16, Tanner Hildebrand, 15, Vincent Stover, 16 and Walter Borden-Wilkens, 15, were students at Grande Prairie Composite High School and members of the Warriors football team.
The team took to the field for the first time without the four players on Saturday. They won the playoff game against the Sexsmith Sabres 40-0.
The sole survivor of the collision, Zak Judd, remains in a medically-induced comma at an Edmonton hospital.
Stories of the boys were told during the service, including some from their family members.
"We remember him trying to ride his bike off the roof onto the trampoline," Tanner's sister, Raven, said.
"He thought he could make it," she smiled.
A live video feed of the memorial service was sent to the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton so that Zak and his family could be part of the ceremony.
Among those who attended the service were MLA Wayne Drysdale and Edmonton Eskimos Aaron Fiacconi and Kyle Koch.
"Once you put on a football helmet it's for life," Fiacconi told CTV News.
"It's just a way we could show our support to these families," he added.
Private funerals have already been held by the families of the four teens.
Brendan Holubowich, 21, has been charged in the case.
The boys' families are now calling on the community to be compassionate as they mourn their loss.
"A young man made a mistake and our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family," Walter's step father, Darren Davidson said.
"We want him to heal just like we are going to."
Holubowich will make his first court appearance on Monday, October 31.
With files from Amanda Anderson
