AUCTIONING a pen of prime lambs created the attention Marg Nicholson had hoped in raising awareness for home-grown cancer research.
Grazier Rod Marshall donated the sale of the 5-month-old lambs in Mrs Nicholson's memory, six weeks after her death from ovarian cancer.
The former high school teacher was 66-years-old when she passed away.
This was a move the couple from Morrl Morrl, north of Stawell, had spoken about.
They wanted to generate interest and intrigue among the farming community for the work of Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute (FECRI) in Ballarat.
And Mr Marshall said Mrs Marshall would have been "pretty chuffed" with the result on Tuesday morning, when the pen sold for $350 a head, raising almost $9000.
"It's a special price for the occasion, a bit above market value, but I think the buyers made a bit of an agreement beforehand to make a special bid," Mr Marshall said.
"We hoped it was a novel way of doing a fundraiser so more people would know about the institute.
"We wanted to let people know there is a cancer research institute in western Victoria and it is the only cancer research institute in regional Australia.
"[FECRI] links up with other centres around the world and does so much for ovarian cancer research."
Mr Marshall said they were aware there was cancer research being made in Ballarat but they only really became aware what kind of work FECRI was doing and how this fit into international research efforts once Mrs Marshall was diagnosed a couple of years ago.
Until the auction, the couple had made private donations to FECRI but wanted to go public.
Ovarian cancer is known as the silent killer for the subtle and varied ways it can take hold.
Symptoms can range from tiredness, weight fluctuation and persistent bloating.
