Just a little more than 24 hours after losing two of their own, a group of Chicago firefighters involved in the South Side roof collapse Wednesday were able to put their mourning aside to spread holiday cheer.
The group hand-delivered $14,000 worth of gifts to children stuck in the hospital this Christmas.
"It keeps us busy, and right now we need to be busy doing something with what just happened the other day. We definitely need to do this. This is uplifting for us," said Capt. Ken Soo.
It’s becoming an annual tradition at Advocate Masonic Hospital on the North Side.
Following Wednesday’s fatal roof collapse, the gift giving gave the group a morale boost. Seeing the children's excitement and smiles demonstrated the importance of their jobs.
“We all put that uniform on and do our job and sometimes it doesn't work out for the best. But we all -- every one of these guys here, they know, they understand that and we all love our job,” said firefighter Rich Pinskey.
