Bob Silipigni has it down to a science.

Often when people see someone walking door-to-door soliciting in their neighborhood, they can become busy in a hurry. They hop in the shower, try to fix a leaky faucet or do anything to keep from having to answer the door.

But somehow, Silipigni gets people to cough up for a good cause. Recently, he turned in about $14,000 in donations to the American Cancer Society through Relay for Life of Lawrence.

He estimates he collected donations from at least 800 people.

“I do a lot of paperwork,” Silipigni said. “I’m very organized, and when a person asks me to come back at a future date, I do it. I’m very structured.”

His hard work complemented that of about 70 volunteer teams and hundreds of participants in this year’s relay, which has pulled in $152,000 with some donations still coming in, said Debbie Bott, an accounting chairwoman.

That total has shattered the $143,000 goal that organizers and volunteers set and also hit an all-time high for the 12-year event.

Bob Silipigni, of Lawrence, collects donations for causes such as the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life in Lawrence. Collectively, the relay raised more than50,000, an all-time high for the fundraiser.

On Friday evening, about 800 people, including 164 cancer survivors, celebrated during the annual event at the Free State High School track. Survivors walked the opening lap, and participants honored their loved ones and friends who died from cancer with the traditional luminaria ceremony.

Bott became involved with the Lawrence event when her 16-year-old niece was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease a few years ago. Her niece survived, but also this year, her son-in-law’s mother died from cancer.

She says door-to-door and online gifts, business contributions and fundraisers make up most of the donations.

Silipigni has collected donations for the relay for almost six years. He’s lost an uncle and grandfather to colon cancer.

The member of the Chesty Lions Relay team credits the “whole city of Lawrence” for his success.

Silipigni works as a house manager with mentally challenged people, so he has flexible hours to go door-to-door, he said. He starts his rounds soon after the holidays and has formed friendships with many donors.

Many share stories with him about their own friends and family members suffering from cancer, he said.

“It gives them a chance to fight back,” Silipigni said. “Really, the greatest impact a person can have is by impacting others. That’s how I look at it anyway.”