Go Blue Spartan Stadium MSU

A plane scrawled "Go Blue" into the skies above Spartan Stadium before Michigan State kicked off against Youngstown State on Saturday.

(MLive file photo)

MSU Alumni Association Executive Director Scott Westerman

Updates:

• U-M Athletics paid for the skywriting

• Donations surpass $20,000



EAST LANSING -- Scott Westerman was just as bothered as any other Spartan when he saw the mantra of the arch-rival Wolverines

But instead of growing angry or spiteful, the executive director of the MSU Alumni Association had a better idea: To respond in a meaningful, helpful way.

"I'm a private pilot and have a sense for how much it costs to do some skywriting," Westerman said. "I don't fault the Michigan fan who did it, but it felt like it would make sense to take our rivalry to a more productive level."

Westerman's wife, Colleen, is a two-time survivor of ovarian cancer. And her life-saving treatment came by way of both of Michigan's Big Ten universities: She was cared for at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center with the drug most-prescribed for ovarian cancer treatment, carboplatin, which was invented at MSU.

Westerman resolved to raise an amount commensurate with the cost of the skywriting graffiti over the MSU campus, then challenge his U-M counterparts to do the same, all in the name of ovarian cancer awareness month. He posted this message on social media and his website Saturday evening:

To my Spartan friends and family: A University of Michigan fan payed $3,000 to have a skywriter paint this over Spartan Stadium today. I'm all for school spirit, but the sheer cost of this momentary chest beating gives the unfortunate perception of malice. That's not what Spartans are about and I don't believe it's what true UofM alumni are all about. Will you help me show Wolverines everywhere what we can do with $3,000? This is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. As many of you know, Colleen is a two time survivor, one of hundreds in our state who are fighting this silent killer. Will you consider making a $10-$50 contribution to the Michigan Ovarian Cancer Alliance (which is based in Ann Arbor) and say that it's coming from a supporter of Michigan State University? Whatever we raise over the next week, I will challenge my counterpart at the UofM alumni association to inspire his members to match. Here is the link: http://www.mioca.org/donate Let's show the world what Leaders, Lifesavers and World Changers do. Help me make this one go viral.

Spartan alumni and fans responded in resounding fashion. Westerman said his idea had raised upward of $1,800 from more than 300 donors within 48 hours, but that didn't surprise him.

"I guess a better word than surprised is gratified," he said. "What most gratifies me is how the word has spread across our alumni network. The social media buzz has generated a massive amount of positive posts. My inbox has been flooded today with notes of support from our Spartan Nation and my Facebook alerts are off the charts."

Westerman is raising funds through the Michigan Ovarian Cancer Alliance. It was founded by Pam Dahlmann, who lost her mother and grandmother to ovarian cancer.

Dahlmann, a U-M alumna, said Westerman turned what could have been a negative incident into a real positive.

"Any time we can get recognition, especially in the way of a friendly rivalry, it's amazing," she said. "There's not enough awareness, there's no testing for ovarian cancer.

"We need to put more emphasis on ovarian cancer research and put more emphasis on awareness in the mean time."

Westerman attributed some of the MSU fanbase's energetic response to his charitable idea to their knowledge of his wife's bouts with cancer. She was diagnosed the day after Westerman accepted his current position with the alumni association, in 2009.

"The nurses at the U-M Cancer Center gave her great care all through chemotherapy and on the last day, I told them, 'You guys know that I'm a Spartan, but I want to thank you from the bottom of my Spartan heart for saving my wife's life,'" Westerman said.

"That's when they pointed to the chemo bottle and said, 'It wasn't us. It was that drug (carboplatin), which was invented at Michigan State University.' Every last one of us understood what that meant and we were all crying our eyes out. That moment taught me we are all in this together.

"That touched my heart as a very personal example of the collaboration that goes on between our two great institutions every day," Westerman added.

By Tuesday afternoon, MSU fans and alumni had raised more than $4,100 for ovarian cancer awareness. At the end of the week, Westerman plans to notify his counterpart at the U-M Alumni Association of the Spartans' fundraising, challenging Wolverines to match what they raise. He called the effort "one very worthy cause" of which two great alumni organizations can be proud.

"I'm thrilled at the philanthropy, but what's more important is the message that Spartan alumni can come together to tackle the world's biggest problems," Westerman said. "Who wins a football game on a Saturday may be consequential in the athletic history books, but I like to think that perhaps one of those many $5 contributions will be the tipping point to help eradicate this horrible disease for Spartans, Wolverines and the world."

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