Guyra resident Mark Brazier lost his life after a short battle with melanoma between 2015 and 2016.

Now, in a bid to help find a cure, Mr Brazier’s sons Harrison, Angus, Thomas and Hugo and his wife Kathryn have started a fundraiser to raise money for the Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA).

It’s called Five Cent Friday.

“Mum looked up this site called Love Your Sister and they raised over $2 million in their heart project,” Harrison said.

“I thought that if they could do something that easily, then we could try to do something too.

“We started off by collecting some coins around the house and putting them in a box.”

Since May 16, the boys have already raised almost $3,000 – six times their initial goal of $500.

And support for the cause has travelled far beyond the town limits of Guyra.

“Armidale, Tamworth, Glen Innes, Birdsville, Townsville, Airlie Beach, Singleton, Brisbane and our friends in Africa know about it,” Mrs Brazier said.

Angus said he hoped the money would help find a cure to a disease which around 2,500 Australians will be diagnosed with in the next 12 months alone.

“Hopefully this money can help save lives so no one else has to die from melanoma,” he said.

“Some of my mates are getting some money and taking it to the school on Friday.”

Mrs Brazier said it was also a particularly big issue in the New England area, having one of the highest rates of melanoma in Australia due to our distance from the sun.

The fundraiser officially kicked off on Tuesday and will wrap up on June 30.

A full list of donation points around Guyra can be found on the Five Cent Friday Facebook page and include St Mary of the Angels School, Guyra Vet Clinic, Kirks IGA and the Guyra Hospital.

You can also read about the Brazier family’s journey on their Facebook page.

The Glen Innes-Guyra Rugby Union Club will be holding a Black Tie Ball on June 24 in memory of their former teammate.

Melanoma survivor Jay Allen will be a guest speaker on the night.