FORMER Blackburn Rovers star David Dunn travelled home to help a charity close to his heart reach its fund-raising goal.

The midfielder, who joined Birmingham City for £5m in the summer, was at Mister Fu's Chinese restaurant in Blackburn last night to support a fund-raising event in aid of breast cancer charity Breakthrough.

He said he was moved to act because he lost his aunt Sheila Black to breast cancer, and he knows the disease's devastating effects. She died at the age of 52 in the late 1980s when he was just seven.

David, whose family comes from Great Harwood, said: "Most people have a close friend or relative who have been affected by the disease in some way and I'm just like anyone else.

"I was only young when my auntie died but as I grew older I began to appreciate what she and the family went through with the chemotherapy and everything. We were all devastated to lose her.

"That's why it's important that local people try and pull together and support events like this."

David's gran Alice Dunn, of Belmont Road, Great Harwood, said: "David and Sheila were very close. He used to call her Aunty Sheila even though she was my cousin."

The restaurant has held three fund-raising evenings co-hosted by Tracy Reed, of Feniscowles, who is walking the Great Wall of China later this month for the charity.

The charity events were the idea of Johnny Magee and Preston New Road restaurant owner Ming Fu.

Johnny and Tracy's friend Michelle Hilton, 36, died two years ago of breast cancer and they have been organising events in her memory since.

Johnny, whose aunt Irene is also battling the disease, said: "The response has has been tremendous and we hope to raise around £5,000 from the three nights. We've got loads of local people and businesses involved and they've all pulled together to help this tremendous cause because it has touched all of our lives in one way or another.

"David was desperate to get involved and was really excited about being able to help."

David's former Rovers colleagues - including Garry Flitcroft, Matt Jansen and Alan Shearer - have all helped out by donating signed shirts, boots and other goodies to be raffled off.

Tracy will join an 18-strong team of trekkers for the six-day marathon. In all, 22 teams will be taking part and two of the organisers - Karen Churches and Marie Hanley - are hoping to complete the full length of the Great Wall of China - 4,000km in total.

David, 24, also got involved in another project earlier this year to help boost cancer charities.

As well as Sheila, David's uncles Jack and Joe died of cancer, as did his mentor and Rovers owner Jack Walker, who passed away in 2000.

He said: "His death was a massive loss to me personally and it touched thousands of people in the town."

He featured in a Man Alive FC - a squad photograph featuring a host of Premiership stars whose lives have all been touched by cancer.

Anyone who would like to sponsor Tracy can contact her on 01254 200890.