KIRKLAND, Wash -- There's a new way to help a beloved Safeway cashier who suffers from a genetic disorder that's left benign tumors on his face.

With help from the KOMO 4 Problem Solvers, local shoppers for 6 weeks have been raising money so James O'Neal can get reconstructive surgery on his face.

That fundraising campaign began with one shopper who wanted to help. Since then, plastic canisters with James' picture and story have lined the registers at the Safeway store in Kirkland where James works.

Just minutes after the canisters were in place, customers started filling them up with change; spare change that will make a drastic change for James.

He was born with Neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that's left benign tumors on his face. Surgery will widen his mouth, move his nose, lift his ear and get rid of all the excess skin.

"Today is the big kickoff," said James when a customer asked about the canisters.

For the next three weeks, Safeway customers will find the canisters in 196 Safeway stores in Washington, Montana, Idaho and Alaska. The money will help pay for surgery and recovery.

"James, he's a nice dude, everybody cares about him around here," said the guy working the Starbucks' counter inside the Safeway store.

A coworker during the interview yelled over: "Forget change, a customer just left you a $15 donation."

"I already got money," said an impressed O'Neal. What's he think about that? "That people care, and I like it," said O'Neal.

"I just think it's fabulous," said customer Judy McClellan as she made her way through O'Neal's line.

Most shoppers are in a hurry, but his 'regulars' will wait in line so they can visit with James. Even McClellan's granddaughter asked if she could help James.

"She took $10 in an envelope to the Bank of America recently," said McClellan. The bank is also accepting donations for the James O'Neal Surgery Fund.

Donations first started pouring in after our Problem Solver report in May. One customer, Katie Knopf, started fundraising on her Web site. Then she called the Problem Solvers, and we helped to spread the word. There's now $130,000 in the fund.

James acquired something else, too: new nicknames.

"They call me Pirate Man, the Good Pirate, Mr. Hollywood and Rock Star," he said.

Despite the ribbing and near-celebrity status, James knows his deformity can shock and even scare people.

"I just told people this is the way I was born. Take me for who I am," said O'Neal.

It's that reason that so many customers want to help. James has never hidden, he chooses to work with the public.

"He's such a courageous man, I think people respond to a person who shows courage and heart, which he has," says McClellan, "I even wrote to Safeway thanking them for hiring James and being so progressive."

James says he's never let his disability stop him from doing what he wants. And now he wants surgery.

Safeway is not only helping him get that surgery with the canister campaign, it found a University of Washington doctor willing to do the surgery and the grocer kicked in the first $10,000 towards James' surgery.

"We're going to give him a little hope to be a little different in his face but not any different in his heart," says Safeway's Director of Public and Government Affairs Cheri Myers.

James is relying on insurance to pick up the bulk of his surgery cost, but what insurance doesn't cover, he can't afford.

He'll need a series of surgeries, (the first is scheduled for Nov. 6), financial support while he recovers and what the doctor calls some maintenance procedures in the coming years.

The surgeon is donating his time, and James and his insurance will be billed for everything else.