FREDERICTON -- The husband of a slain Fredericton police officer says he is trying to move forward and focus on making a difference, so that's what an upcoming even in her honour is all about.

Steve Burns, husband of Const. Sara Burns, says he's also working on spreading the message: it's OK to need help.

He says it helps to stay busy and these days, raising money for the community is how he chooses to spend a lot of his time.

"We're trying to look forward versus looking at the tragedy itself, really create a fun atmosphere, almost like a little bit of a nightclub atmosphere inside the convention centre," Burns says.

A fundraising event scheduled for next weekend will see Fredericton's Convention Centre turned into a Valentines' party.

Last year was the first for this event following the shooting that claimed the lives of two Fredericton residents and two police constables in August 2018. One of them was Burns' wife, and mother of their three sons, Sara Burns.

"I'm doing fine, you know, the boys have been great, they've been very resilient, and they haven't not had their issues," Burns said. "They've been very up front with me if they have, want to talk to somebody and they'll talk to me, but they're willing to talk to other people too, and that's been a great help."

Sara is being remembered as a dedicated mother who dreamed of being a police officer and went back to school in her 30s to pursue her dream to help others.

And so, 100 per cent of the money raised next Saturday will be going to three charities

  • Housing First: a group that helps those without a home;
  • Liberty Lane: a residence program for women and children who have experienced family violence; and,
  • The Chalmers Foundation, which is working on building a safe room for those going through a mental-health crisis within the hospital's ER.

"Right now, the current configuration, it's all open stalls, all open spaces, and you don't know when somebody's going to come in, in crisis," said Gilles Allain of the Chalmers Foundation. "So you could have a parent with a young child who's witnessing this, and should not have to."

The Sara Burns Police Memorial Fund has raised over $700,000. Burns is hoping the event will raise another $130,000.

"It really means a lot when you see that support annually like this," Burns said. "They have all kinds of other choices that they could pick when it comes to giving their hard-earned money, so we're really grateful for what they're willing to do."

Burns and his sons are happy to see that all of this is ensuring Sara's legacy lives on by getting the community together, and assisting those who could use a little help.