MARTIN — Employees at Our Lady of the Way Hospital have been working harder than usual over the last several weeks, raising money for a worthy cause.

Through wreath decorating, cookouts, bake sales and car washes, just to name a few, employees at the hospital and other volunteers have raised over $6,000 for Relay for Life.

Relay for Life is a fundraising organization sponsored by the American Cancer Society which operates year-round to raise money for cancer research. Relay for Life began in the mid-1980s with one doctor who was looking for a way to bring in more funds to his local American Cancer Society office. He decided to take it upon himself to raise money doing something he loved — running marathons.

He raised over $33,000 at one point and the rest is history. Since then, teams across the country have participated in Relay for Life marathons and even those who can't choose to raise money in other ways.

OLW held a yard sale Thursday and Friday of items donated by local citizens. The team is also accepting donations on two Reno tickets and several other miscellaneous items. Team captains Debbi Bentley and Mary Martin say they have experienced a very good response from local citizens and they hope to raise even more money in the following weeks.

For more information on Relay for Life, visit their web site at www.cancer.org.