Community rallies around Deputy Chief Brian Kunce in cancer battle

MACHESNEYP PARK, Ill. (WTVO) — The North Park community is rallying to support Deputy Chief Brian Kunce as he battles stage four cancer.

A benefit event called ‘Battle for Brian’ was held, featuring live raffles and auctions, to help Kunce financially and boost his morale.

“They see Brian and they see what he was and what he has done and who he is and they’re supporting him and in turn that’s supporting all of us to some degree, because he’s one of us,” said Chief Joel Hallstrom of the North Park Fire Protection District.

The event has already raised more than ten thousand dollars through online sales of T-shirts and sweatshirts, which will continue for another week and a half.

Chief Hallstrom expressed gratitude for the community’s support, noting that it extends beyond the fire service to include other community members.

The ongoing support from the community is not only helping financially but also providing a significant morale boost for Brian Kunce as he continues his fight against cancer.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WTVO. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WTVO staff before being published.