Roselle Park resident Brian Dunne is no stranger to the C word.

Dunne was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease at 15 and endured four years of chemotherapy and radiation to beat it.

This year, at age 31, Dunne was diagnosed with both kidney and thyroid cancer. After two successful surgeries, Dunne considers himself lucky.

"What are the chances of having three different types of cancer? I don't know," he says with a laugh. "Still, my doctors told me I am very lucky, since I did have three different types that are not related. Now I feel the need to give back."

Dunne organized a fundraiser for the Valerie Fund to be held on Saturday, July 21, at Blackthorn Pub & Restaurant in Kenilworth. The event begins at 5 p.m. and will feature live music and raffles and prizes. It will also feature an appearance from former NY Giants Superbowl Champion Running Back OJ Anderson. With a suggested donation, attendees can drink for happy hour prices all night. Dunne held a similar event last month at Kenilworth's 10th Street Live.

The Valerie Fund is a not-for-profit organization established in 1976 in memory of nine-year-old Valerie Goldstein by her parents, Ed and Sue.

Today there are seven Valerie Fund Children's Centers for Cancer and Blood Disorders located in major hospitals in New Jersey, New York, and the Philadelphia area providing outpatient health care to more than 4,000 children and their families each year. This network means that sick children are able to receive care close to their homes. Before The Valerie Fund, many children—such as Valerie Goldstein—had to travel long distances because the treatment they needed was available only at major medical facilities located in large cities.

The Valerie Fund Children's Centers comprise the largest network of healthcare facilities for children with cancer and blood disorders in New Jersey, and one of the largest in the nation. They host more than 25,000 patient visits each year.