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Arizona firefighters share favorite recipes raising thousands for child burn victims

Chandler Fire Department cooking
Posted at 2:52 PM, Oct 07, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-10 23:42:22-04

Firefighters from around the state are trying to help you... cook like them.

“Yeah, everyone wants to topple the champ, hoping we can do it again this year,” said Chandler firefighter Donaldo Lopez.

Lopez’s green salsa won the "Cook Like A Firefighter" competition last year. On Thursday, inside station 5, he showed us his latest dish called the "My Heroes Molletes."

“It’s easy to do something you love and that’s benefiting so many kids,” said Lopez.

He's been cooking since he was a kid, and now he's the king of the kitchen for his department.

“I’m actually first-generation American, both my parents are from Mexico, so all these recipes that I know are from my mom watching her cook in the kitchen,” said Lopez.

The love poured into this meal is now up on the Arizona Burn Foundation website.

Eighteen departments have submitted a video of them cooking their dish and providing a recipe, and will eventually be voted on by the public to raise money for child burn survivors.

“They can’t be first forever,” said Arizona Fire and Medical firefighter Chris Ferrara.

This year, Ferrara has his sights set on Lopez, hoping his "Dino Nuggie Parm Sliders" will do the trick.

“I believe in every department, there are a number of great cooks,” said Ferrara.

But which will the public choose? Each vote costs $1. The money raised will go towards paying for burn safety and fire education for kids as well as Courage Camp for children recovering from traumatic burns.

“To be around the people who had to go through it, and had to go through the same type of struggles, rehabilitation wise, it’s just a true blessing to have something like that,” said Ferrara.

“To be in a camp where that can be out of their mind for a weekend is a beautiful thing, so I mean, let's get the kids to camp,” said Lopez.

Voting continues through Friday, October 8 at this website. As an extra perk, every person who casts a vote and makes a donation receives a digital recipe book with every department's unique dish.

To vote, click here: https://e.givesmart.com/events/mou/