News Photo by Julie Riddle Officer Ryan Wisely shows off his once-a-year beard outside the Rogers City Police Department on Thursday.

ALPENA — Rogers City police are looking a little shaggy these days.

It’s for a really good cause, though, said Rogers City Police Chief Jamie Meyer.

Hoping to earn a chunk of change by going grizzly, members of the Rogers City Police Department are participating in No-Shave November, a nationwide law enforcement campaign that raises money for charities.

“They just have to keep it groomed, clean, and neat,” said Meyer, who reserved the right to order a shave if any officer’s facial hair gets out of hand.

For $50 each, officers are allowed to ignore their agency’s facial hair-shaving policy and get scruffy for one month.

All money raised in Rogers City goes to a scholarship named for former Presque Isle County Sheriff’s Office Deputy James Budnik.

Budnik, who worked as deputy, corrections officer, and court officer and served as a longtime Posen firefighter, died Dec. 5 at age 43 after a battle with cancer.

The scholarship was Budnik’s idea, Meyer said.

The Rogers City community rallied to raise funds after word of Budnik’s sickness spread, but Budnik said he wouldn’t need it, Meyer said. Instead, the officer said to use the money to help start the career of someone who wanted to serve the public as a police officer, firefighter, or emergency medical technician.

Fundraisers set a goal of raising $10,000 in honor of Budnik. If that amount can be raised, it will be given to Alpena Community College, where, Meyer explained, it will be invested to provide an annual $500 scholarship named for Budnik.

A community walk and sales of bracelets and stickers last fall fell short of the goal, bringing in $8,500. Other fundraising events planned for earlier in 2020 were canceled by COVID-19, so the officers at the Rogers City Police Department thought they’d donate their faces to see if they could raise the remaining $1,500 to fund the scholarship.

At $50 per participant, the small department — not including Meyer, who said he needs to maintain a professional appearance, although he chipped in $50 — has only collected $300.

The community is invited to help, Meyer said.

Any donations for the cause can be sent to or dropped off at the Rogers City City Hall.

Officer Ryan Wisely, showing off his beard on Thursday, said his fellow officers like the chance to grow their usually forbidden beards for hunting season.

More importantly, “It’s for a good cause,” Wisely said. “It’s a win-win.”

ACC offers scholarships in honor of other officers who died in the line of duty, as well, Meyer said.

“They make an impact on the community,” Meyer said. “They’re doing the work out there that few people choose to do.”

Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693, jriddle@thealpenanews.com or on Twitter @jriddleX.