Lacey Holsworth dies

Adreian Payne holds eight-year-old Lacey Holsworth of St. John's during Senior Day at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday night, March 6, 2014. The Spartans beat the Hawkeyes, 86-76, in the game. (J. Scott Park | MLive.com)

Soon after college basketball announcer Dick Vitale heard of the passing of 8-year-old Michigan State superfan Lacey Holsworth, he contacted her parents to pledge that he would raise $250,000 in her name.

Since then, he’s taken to social media to promote her story to the college basketball community and beyond and urge people to donate to The V Foundation, with the money earmarked for pediatric cancer research.

Vitale hopes that fundraising drive comes to a conclusion Friday at his annual charity gala in Sarasota, Fla.

"We can't save the girl with the angel smile, but we can try to save others in her name,'' Vitale told The Associated Press Monday. "We already have $175,000 raised and I'm confident we'll get the rest at the gala.''

Holsworth was in attendance at last year's gala, along with Adreian Payne and Tom Izzo. The three appeared on stage together, and Izzo donated $15,000 to The V Foundation.

Matt and Heather Holsworth plan to be at this year’s gala.

"He said he would do his best and somebody like him usually does it,'' Matt Holsworth told the AP of Vitale. "We will do all we can to keep Lacey's legacy alive.''

The event has raised more than $10 million for cancer research, including $1.7 million last year.

• Download the MSU basketball on MLive app for iPhone and Android

• Download the MSU football on MLive app for iPhone and Android

•Follow Mike Griffith and Kyle Austin on Twitter

•Like MLive's Michigan State Spartans Facebook page