VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Tuesday, a community came together to support the family of a Virginia Beach firefighter one day after he passed away following a battle with cancer.
For months, News 3 has been following the story of VBFD Capt. Matt Chiaverotti, who had been battling a rare, aggressive form of cancer.
At Thin Brew Line, people could donate $20 for a pint and first fill. All of the proceeds from the pint will go to Chiaverotti's family.
But it wasn't just beer filling pints.
The event was also filled with love for a man known as "Chevy."
“I know pretty much everybody that comes in here has a story about him,” Thin Brew Line Owner Jay Gates said. “There’s going to be a lot of stories shared, a lot of great memories, and it’s for a man who deserves every last bit of it.”
Chiaverotti was a man who served the Resort City for two decades, traveled across the country, Haiti, and Puerto Rico as part of Virginia FEMA Task Force Two, and responded to the ‘Good Friday Miracle’ jet crash.
More recently, Chevy was the engine behind Engine 7, one of the city's busiest.
“The guy’s just a rock star,” Gates said.
Monday, the Virginia Beach Professional Fire & EMS union announced that Chiaverotti passed away after battling a rare, aggressive form of thyroid cancer.
Gates told News 3 Tuesday’s event was all about helping Chiaverotti’s family.
“He had a passion for the fire service like nobody I know,” Virginia Beach Fire Dept. Chief Ken Pravetz said. “His smile would light up the whole room. No matter how hard he was working, he was smiling and having a great time.”
Previously, Chiaverotti told News 3 his diagnosis was because of work.
For nearly a year, News 3 Investigates has shined a light on the topic of cancer rates in firefighters.
Data from the Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN) shows firefighters are at a nine percent higher risk of being diagnosed, and 14 percent higher risk of dying from cancer.
Chief Pravetz hopes Chevy's story can help raise awareness.
“We’ve taken preventive steps,” Pravetz said. “We’ve gotten new gear. We’re teaching our firefighters to decon and shower more quickly to get the contaminants off of them, and we’re pushing as hard as we can to make progress.”
Meanwhile, the focus now is on Chevy's family while honoring a first responder first in hearts throughout the Resort City.
“Money’s one thing, but that’s not the main good that’s going to come out of tonight,” Gates said. “It’s going to be the family seeing the support.”
Tuesday night, the Virginia Beach Fire Dept. released this statement from the Chiaverotti family:
“We want to express our deepest appreciation to everyone who has reached out to us after losing our beloved Captain Matt Chiaverotti (Chevy). Please know that it is your love, kindness, support, and generosity, that has carried us through the incredibly difficult journey we’ve traveled over this past year. Because of you, we have not walked alone. We have heard from so many people who were positively impacted by chevy throughout his career. This has provided much peace and comfort to us, and for that we are eternally grateful. We will not be providing interviews at this time, as we are currently making plans for his service later this week. Once we finalize his service details, we will share that information with all of you.”
Gates also told News 3 Thin Brew Line will also be making a separate donation to Chiaverotti's family.
