horizontal Go Blue MSU Spartan Stadium East Lansing AP

A skywriting of "Go Blue" looms near Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Saturday, Sept. 14 as fans arrive for Michigan State's matchup with Youngstown State. The University of Michigan athletic department hired a skywriter to spell the Wolverines' slogan in the skies above its in-state rival's campus.

(AP Photo/Detroit News, Dale G. Young)

EAST LANSING — When Scott Westerman saw the words "Go Blue" etched into the sky over East Lansing he resolved to turn the stunt into a positive.

But what ultimately unfolded he admits he never saw coming.

Westerman, who heads the MSU Alumni Association,

Westerman, who is a private pilot, estimated the cost of the University of Michigan athletic department-funded skywriting over East Lansing at $3,000. He asked his fellow MSU alumni to match that amount in donations for ovarian cancer, a disease his wife, Colleen, has battled twice. He also challenged his counterparts at the U-M Alumni Association to equal what Michigan State raises.

Donations began pouring in. And on Tuesday, after just more than a week of fundraising, Spartan fans and alumni pushed their total past $40,000.

"The Spartan Nation crossed the goal line today," Westerman said. "They did it with the generosity and teamwork that represent MSU alumni at our best. But we also realize that a lot more points will have to be put on the board in terms of research and testing before we beat ovarian cancer once and for all.

"It will take the best brains at both Michigan and Michigan State to win this one. Colleen and I look forward to watching that collaboration come to pass."

RELATED: U-M says it spent less than $100 on East Lansing skywriting

Westerman directed his fellow MSU fans and alumni to donate through the

. The amount raised by the Spartan faithful "grossly exceeds" the $37,000 budgeted by the Ann Arbor-based organization for 2013, according to its founder, Pam Dahlmann.

"As a U of M graduate, this has not been about the rivalry between U-M and MSU. The story is much bigger," said Pam Dahlmann, who also heads MIOCA. "We gave the name ovarian cancer a platform for awareness. We took ovarian cancer awareness out of the state of Michigan and spread it worldwide!

"Spartan alums totally embraced this idea and for that the Michigan Ovarian Cancer Alliance will always be forever indebted."

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