A fund has been set up to help Walter Ashley of Oak Bluffs who has been receiving treatments for lung cancer since last summer. Walter and his wife Connie are well-known figures on the Island where they operate their long-running business C&W Power Equipment near the airport.

Mr. Ashley has been to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston twice for treatments and is currently undergoing radiation treatments in Falmouth.

Tax-deductible donations may be sent to You’ve Got a Friend, P.O. Box 1317, West Tisbury MA 02575.

Founded in 1994 by George Brush, a West Tisbury attorney, You’ve Got a Friend is a nonprofit fund that raises and distributes money to aid Islanders and their families who are undergoing catastrophic events such as illness, death of a breadwinner, accident or natural disaster. All administrative services for the fund are donated, so 100 per cent of contributions go directly to beneficiaries.