Growing a beard hasn't been a pleasant experience for Howlong man Jim Lewry, but it's also one he could never regret.

The sprouting whiskers were all for the love of his wife, Catherine, who underwent treatment for breast cancer in 2020.

The couple are deeply indebted to the care and expertise through that time from the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre.

To show their appreciation, Mr Lewry decided to grow a beard to raise money for the cancer centre's trust fund.

Two months have now passed since he embarked on his beard-growing journey, with the hope that by December he will have raised $10,000.

By making a donation to the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre Trust Fund, supporters will be able to vote if he should keep his beard until Christmas or go back to being clean-shaven.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Mrs Lewry said she was not a fan of the beard.

"I'm used to it now, but I don't think it's necessary," she said. "I would encourage people to vote to take it off."

Mr Lewry said it would certainly be a relief to eventually get rid of all that facial hair.

"It's a weird thing having a beard. It's a pain in the backside," he said.

"You're always trimming it up; it's so much easier to just clean it up and have a shave."

Mrs Lewry underwent 16 rounds of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation.

Mr Lewry, the owner of Mossy Jim's Rocks, hoped the incentive of seeing him "suffer" with a beard might be enough to encourage people to make a donation.

"If people want me to keep it on longer because they know how much it annoys me, then they're going to have to vote with their dollars."

To donate and vote visit bit.ly/jimsbeardsaveorshave.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: