Fifty-four employees at an Ashland tool manufacturing company are improving their health and helping others at the same time.

Darex LLC employees are taking part in a company-sponsored fitness program that donates 75 cents to a local charity for every 30 minutes they exercise.

"We thought it was a creative idea to motivate the employees (to participate in) the wellness program and exercise and eat better," said Gary Dunn, sales and marketing communications manager for Darex, located on East Hersey Street.

Over the past six years, employees who have participated in the wellness program have cut their insurance premiums, saving the company money, Dunn said.

This fall, the company decided to give its employees extra incentives to work out.

Each Darex employee chose one of five charities to donate to during the exercise challenge, which began on Aug. 1 and ends Dec. 13.

Seventeen are donating their funds earned through exercise to ACCESS Inc., a nonprofit that operates food banks and provides low-income housing in Jackson County.

Already, the employees have earned several hundred dollars for ACCESS, said Logan Bell, the nonprofit's development director.

"It just comes at a time that we need it," he said. "The gap is growing faster than the donations."

ACCESS hopes other local businesses will decide to institute similar programs, Bell said.

"The bottom line is, it's a pretty good idea," he said. "It's a way to do good for yourself and the community."

Other local groups will also receive money donated by Darex through the exercise program. Twelve Darex employees chose to donate to the local chapter of the American Cancer Society, nine to the local chapter of the American Red Cross and eight each to the Rogue Valley chapter of Habitat For Humanity and ScienceWorks Museum in Ashland.

Employees can earn extra dollars if they participate in monthly health challenges that include drinking at least 64 ounces of water every day or eating four servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

The money will be distributed to the nonprofits before the end of the year, Dunn said.

The program has improved workplace cooperation and morale, he said.

"From this program, there's a heightened awareness here on exercise and eating healthy and being well," he said. "So we're all kind of motivating each other."

Contact staff writer Hannah Guzik at 482-3456 ext. 226 or hguzik@dailytidings.com.