MADISON, Wis. -- On short notice about 50 family and friends turned out for a vigil in downtown Madison Thursday night to support the family of a missing 22-year-old.

The group gathered at Library Mall to show support and bring more awareness to the community of Kelly Nolan's disappearance.

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student Kelly Nolan hasn't been seen since around midnight on Saturday, June 23, in downtown Madison, WISC-TV reported.

After six days without contact, Nolan's family is now pleading with the public for help in bringing her home safe. On Thursday afternoon, her family and friends began blanketing the downtown with fliers featuring her photo and information in hopes of new leads, WISC-TV reported.

The family said there is a strong belief that someone in the community holds the key to finding Kelly Nolan, and they said they hope that person comes forward soon.

"This is going to come to a positive result if someone is strong enough and big enough to say whatever it is and tell us something. Someone was here last Friday and we need their help," said Sue Prestipino, Kelly Nolan's aunt.

Mary Jane Nolan, Kelly Nolan's mother, thanked the community for its support Thursday night.

"We're going to find you Kelly, wherever you are, and we're going to bring you home and we're going to be back the way we were as a family, having good times," Mary Jane Nolan said.

Friends from Kelly Nolan's job at the Madison Club joined family at the vigil. They said that Kelly is a dependable person with a memorable and upbeat personality.

"We just want her back very, very badly," said Erin Delaney, Kelly Nolan's cousin. "Our heart goes out to all the law enforcement that are taking their time, but anything, any information would greatly be appreciated."

Nolan's sister April has set up a Facebook page to notify and update family and friends on the search. There is a printable poster available for those who want to help distribute fliers around the area.

Nolan moved back to the Madison area last month for a job, according to her mother. Her family said that she was out with friends on Saturday night and got separated from them at about 11:30 p.m.

"People sometimes just don't take seriously that Madison is, I think, growing to be unsafe lately," said Ashley Gehrke, a family friend who is helping distribute fliers. "Because I live downtown, too, and they encourage you to always walk with somebody else when you go home."

They split up from Kelly around 11:30 p.m. and they all left and she stayed in the downtown area," said April Nolan. "She was by herself at the time. And beyond that, no one knows exactly for sure who she was with, where she all went."

The family said that being gone for this long is out of character for her.

"She would not not contact someone for this long ever," said April Nolan. "I don't think I've gone more than 12 to 15 hours without talking to her over the past couple of months of her living here for the summer.

"She's a fun, free-spirited girl that is the kindest, most considerate person I know," April Nolan said.

Police said that they've done routine searches of lake shorelines and hospital checks but haven't turned up any leads, WISC-TV reported.

"I can tell you that the detectives in the central district here and others are vigorously pursuing this case right now. And there are many people out and about running down these routine leads hoping that one of them is the one that will lead us to Kelly," said Joel DeSpain, public information officer with the Madison Police Department.

Kelly Nolan is described as 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 125 pounds. She has brown eyes and brown hair. Her sister said that on Saturday night, Kelly Nolan was wearing a green, sleeveless top with a scoop neck, a light pair of jeans, sandals with a heel and carrying a slate gray purse.

"If anybody can help, seriously, even if they think it's nothing, say something, call the Crime Stoppers number. Anything at all," April Nolan said.

Authorities are asking anyone with information on Nolan's whereabouts to call Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014.

Stay tuned to WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for continuing coverage.