If you work a job and get paid, your paycheck is not considered "free". You worked for it. The same goes in the game in my view. The prizes you get from this event are not "free". You have to do something to get them. I have spent way too much time placing eggs, some of which are not returned, collecting eggs, many of them only 1, but occasionally 5 or 20 and only in a couple of my cities have I gotten 50s, and than trading them in for the chest getting items I do not even want. So, yes, I did do something to get teh prizes and yes, it has so far just been a big disappointment, and "no", the prizes were not free. I did not come on and they just had the prizes waiting for me. So that is why people can complain if they want to about what others call "free" gifts. The placing of the eggs and collecting of the eggs and trading of the eggs for not so great items does not constitute "fun". So I am not having fun so far playing the game. As discouraged as I now am with the chest, I am likely to just get wishing wells for now on, though I already have 3 in some of my cities and that seems like plenty.