Apr 18, 2014 12:32 PM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

The Michigan State University (MSU) community said goodbye as a unified group to "Princess" Lacey Holsworth.

About 2,500 people packed the Breslin Center Thursday for a ceremony to remember her life, the Associated Press reported. Lacey died at the age of eight to nerve-cell cancer.

Many a tear was shed remembering the girl who was only described as having an infectious smile. However, attendees wore bright colors at the request of Lacey's parents to celebrate her life and impact.

CLICK HERE to read the Detroit Free Press' Joe Rexrode's account of the ceremony.

Out of the entire MSU community, Adreian Payne, MSU's senior forward, probably had the most special friendship with Lacey. She helped him cut down the nets after the Spartans won the Big Ten Tournament and he accompanied him to countless games and MSU events.

Spartans coach Tom Izzo previously addressed a crowd of MSU students and community members at a candlelight vigil (video below). He said Lacey is what people will remember about this MSU basketball team 10 years from now.

"I would like to say one thing about Adreian. Adreian did so many things behind the scenes," Izzo said.

The MSU Spartans first met Lacey in a hospital and there Lacey's relationship with Payne, Izzo, the Spartans team and the MSU community began.

"The night I spent with Adreian and her in the hospital back in November and I saw what an individual could mean to another person is probably the greatest thing I learned since I've been here," Izzo said at the vigil.

Payne has not commented much publicly on his little friend's passing, but it only takes a few seconds on his Instagram account to see how much she meant to him. He contributed a simple "Lacey, we love you" to a tribute video in her honor, a sentiment felt by the entire university.

Izzo finished by speaking on how Lacey reached beyond East Lansing, Michigan and even beyond the United States.

"In eight short years, she inspired Adreian, then our team and then our university and then she branched out to our city and then she branched out to our state and thanks to our small run in the NCAA Tournament she was able to branch out to the country," Izzo told the crowd. "Today her parents showed me messages from people in Japan and China and Spain and Italy. There aren't many of us that can have an impact on the world.

"She wasn't that big, she wasn't that strong, but she sure was powerful."

CLICK HERE to watch Izzo's full address.

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