Thousands of students and parents gathered Sunday at Wharton Center to attend MSU’s Relay for Life kickoff event. With nearly $250,000 raised through last year’s event, the Spartans Fighting Cancer group hopes to top this number in April with a goal of $300,000.

Alex Berlin, a cancer survivor, spoke to the audience about his fight and revealed his personal story. Berlin was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer called Ewing’s sarcoma around the time he graduated from MSU.

Although deflated at first, he decided to take a positive approach to his situation. Berlin wanted to “remove the stigma from the word ‘cancer’” and be more positive about his circumstances.

Berlin spoke about his family’s support throughout his treatment, saying he couldn’t have gone through the difficulties without their help. His mother, Patti Berlin, also spoke about her experience with her son’s diagnosis.

“I would kiss and hug him more often,” she said. “It broke my heart. No matter the age, my child is my baby.”

Despite Berlin’s experience, he remained positive, ending his speech by saying, “Every day is a gift from God, and I plan to live my life with that in mind.”

The audience erupted in applause and cheers, showing their support for Berlin and his family.

The event featured performances by three student groups — the Accafellas, Ladies First, MSU’s female-only a cappella group, and Orchesis, a dance organization.

The Relay for Life event will begin at 6 p.m. on April 17 and run until 6 a.m. the next day at Breslin Center. The goal is to have at least 4,000 registered participants for the event.

Spartans Fighting Cancer President Sarah Hoffman said those interested in attending Relay for Life in April should visit www.relayforlife.org/msumi and join the club or create a team.

“The event turned out so great,” Hoffman said. “We loved having the performers, they did amazing. Thank you for all the people that watched our event.”