Participants in Saturday’s walk collected $230,000 to raise breast cancer awareness and to fund programs geared toward research and treatment for the disease.

Angela Dockett, communications specialist for the American Cancer Society in East Lansing, said breast cancer walks are being held across the nation this month to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“I think that events like this not only help raise money, but they raise awareness,” Dockett said. “It gets people talking about breast cancer and gets the information out there.”

The MSU gymnastics team marched and kicked in place to Sean Paul’s “Temperature” to pump up the walkers before the opening ceremonies.

The gymnastics team collected about $2,600 for the Breast Cancer Walk.

“I think this shows that we are involved in things going on outside of campus,” said Nicole Curler, a no-preference sophomore and member of the gymnastics team. “We still make time to be out here in the community on our days off.”

Judy Gloden, a breast cancer survivor, was a speaker during the opening ceremonies.

Gloden said she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 and that she’d organized a group — JG’s Angels — to help raise money for breast cancer research.

Gloden and other breast cancer survivors led the walk with a chain of participants cheering and holding up signs.

“When you’re a breast cancer patient, you feel somewhat hopeless,” Gloden said during the walk. “It’s a great feeling to know that there is so much support in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.”