CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — Children left with buckets full of Easter eggs Saturday at the annual Easter Egg Hunt event hosted by the Chula Vista Fire Department.
The goal of the event was to bring the South Bay together.
“It all started 14 years ago when my daughter was born, and I was just holding her for one day, feeding her, and getting some inspiration. I was like, ‘I want to create an event for you,'” said Capt. Dangkhoa Nguyen.
And so, the tradition began.
Captain Nguyen has been at Chula Vista Fire for 22 years.
His idea grew into what it is today - three large fields full of children spending time with their local firefighters.
“Last year's event, unfortunately, I missed because about 4 days before it was going to go on, I got a phone call from UCSD Jacobs Medical Center saying they saw some stuff [and] they want to take a look at me. It turns out I had leukemia," he said.
It was occupational cancer.
Now, a year later, Nguyen is in remission, and this year is special for him.
“From a year ago to now, from being in the hospital to back to doing chemo a year ago and to be here, it’s great. It means a lot of things to me,” he said.
The Easter Egg Hunt funds will go to the Chula Vista Firefighters Foundation.
“We provide relief for folks affected by fires that we as a fire department respond to, we give scholarships to students that want to pursue the fire service as an occupation,” Nguyen said.
It’s not too late to give back to the Chula Vista Firefighters Foundation. You can buy a t-shirt online.
