By Lisa Landau
I had the honor and privilege of attending the Day of Appreciation in remembrance of the 10-year anniversary of the loss of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighters in the Yarnell Fire on June 30, 2013, at 4:42 p.m. Among the 19 firefighters who perished was 21-year-old Kevin Woyjeck. Kevin was a native of Seal Beach.
The event was organized by Kevin’s mother Anna Woyjeck and father, Joe Woyjeck, a 37-year veteran of the fire service and a long-time board member of the LA County Fire Museum.
They wanted to hold a semi-formal memorial for the fire service and the public while also expressing gratitude for the support received by Kevin’s nonprofit organization, the Kevin Woyjeck Explorers for Life Association.
To achieve this, they combined the semi-formal event with an appreciation party. Over 500 people attended the event, including fire engines from LA County Fire, Orange County Fire Authority, the US Forest Service, and more.
The event took place on June 30th and commenced with a Remembrance Ceremony at 4 pm. Various speakers shared their thoughts, including Kevin’s younger sister, Maddie Bryson, who spoke about how her parents were extremely strong.
She highlighted the statistic that 72% of parents do not stay together after losing their firstborn child. Following this, the names of the 19 fallen heroes were read aloud, and at 4:42 pm, there was a 19-second moment of silence.
Kevin’s family hoped that during those 19 seconds, attendees would reflect on their own lives and strive to make them better.
The Appreciation Party began after the remembrance activities, with delicious food and music provided by the Kelly Boyz Band. For Joe and Anna Woyjeck, the most memorable part of the event was witnessing everyone reconnect, converse, laugh, and enjoy the gathering.
The ultimate goal was to honor the 19 fallen heroes while appreciating all of the support of Kevin’s non-profit and embracing the gift of life.
Kevin’s upbringing in Seal Beach resembled that of many local children. He attended McGaugh Elementary School, McAuliffe Middle School, and Los Alamitos High School. He actively participated in the Seal Beach Pony Baseball League and later progressed to the Los Alamitos Pony League.
Kevin spent nine years in the Seal Beach Junior Lifeguard program, possessed a passion for fishing, and loved the ocean. He was the eldest of three siblings.
Kevin pursued his emergency medical technician certification and worked on an ambulance in Los Angeles.
He served as part of a Wildland hand crew in South Dakota and volunteered at the Johnson-Siding Volunteer Fire Department in the same state.
Additionally, Kevin successfully completed the Los Angeles County Fire Explorer Academy, Cal Fire Wildland Academy, El Camino Structure Fire Academy, EMT school, and numerous fire tech classes.
His time at Los Alamitos High School was particularly enjoyable, thanks to the Fire Tech program taught by Chief Brad Wilson, a local from Seal Beach.
Joe said, “Kevin was the ninth firefighter in our family, and he was following in my footsteps. But being a firefighter is a dangerous job, and we sometimes forget how dangerous it really is.”
Following the loss of Kevin and his crew, Anna desired to give back to the community that had shown them immense love and support.
She remembers how much Kevin loved being a fire explorer, so she established a non-profit called the Kevin Woyjeck Explorers for Life association.
To establish the Kevin Woyjeck Explorers for Life association, Anna assembled a board comprised of friends and family members.
This non-profit organization operates as a 501c3 and relies solely on volunteers. To date, it has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars in tuition, scholarships, and fire gear, among other resources.
In 2016 they donated $40,000 in fire gear to the Los Alamitos High School fire tech program. The Association’s mission is to empower aspiring firefighters, particularly underserved youth nationwide, in realizing their dreams of becoming a first responder.
In October of 2016, Kevin received a remarkable tribute when a section of the 405 freeway in Seal Beach was named after him.
In 2017 the movie, “Only the Brave” was released, it is based on the story of Brendan McDonough (played by Miles Teller) who is the lone survivor of the ill-fated Granite Mountain Hotshot crew.
The overwhelming outpouring of love and support from the fire community and friends was truly awe-inspiring.
Witnessing how Joe and Anna transformed their pain into a meaningful purpose has been truly inspiring for me and countless others.
If you wish to support the Kevin Woyjeck Explorers for Life Association, you can visit their website at Explorersforlife.org or send checks to KWEFLA at 1077 E. PCH #219, Seal Beach, CA 90740. You can also find them on Facebook at Kevin Woyjeck Explorers for Life and on Instagram as Explorers.for.life.
If you know of a fire explorer program, high school or college fire tech/EMT program that is struggling please have them reach out.
19RIP.
Lisa Landau is the council representative for District Three (Hill, Coves, Bridgeport, and Heron Pointe).
