CHRISTINE Sobey's favourite colour was cobalt blue.
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It was worn among all of her clothing, whether it matched or not.
It was in Chris' nature - she loved everything colourful, vibrant and happy.
Taken at just 49, family and friends wore bright shades of every colour of the rainbow, to celebrate her life when she lost her battle with cancer in 2008.
Now, her daughter Kristal Elliott is carrying on her mother's passion for cobalt blue, in a fundraiser next month for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation.
For the 28-year-old Bendigo mother-of-two, Cobalt Blue is a way of honouring Christine and her amazing life.
"It's about wanting to stop someone else losing their mum and going through what we've had to," Kristal said.
"Seeing somebody get sick and go through all that pain and suffering, is really hard.
"Although what we're going to do is only small, every bit helps."
Christine and her husband Gary owned the popular Skydancers Butterfly House at Harcourt, where Chris was well known for her watercolour painting and decadent baking.
But at 44, she was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, developed by 350 Victorians each year.
She beat it through chemotherapy, but developed a secondary cancer of the brain at 48. She died a year later.
Kristal was 23, and mum to Amy, just nine-months old at the time.
Losing her mum was like losing most of her life. The pair were more like best friends than mother and daughter.
"Mum was my universe; she was my rock. It's been really hard to try and sculpt my life into something else," Kristal said.
But five years on, her mum's memory is never far away, as she raises two young children and continues to bake beautifully as her mum once did.
AT A GLANCE:
- WHAT: Cobalt Blue
- WHERE: Skydancers / ASQ, Midland Highway, Harcourt
- WHEN:Sunday, August 18
- TO DONATE: Contact Kristal on 0488 079 217
- INFORMATION:Cobalt Blue on Facebook
"A lot of what my mum taught me, has actually inspired me to be a good person, to do the right thing and live a full life."
Now, Kristal is throwing that energy into Cobalt Blue, raising money for world-class cancer research in Australia.
The Bendigo community has rallied behind the cause, with almost $3000 donated so far, plus goods from local businesses, to be auctioned off on Sunday, August 18.
Seventeen people have registered to shave or colour their heads and there will also be a chance to own an original watercolour painting by Christine, Spring Fever.
Kristal is among those shaving her hair, and reflects on her mum's own loss of her hair during her cancer.
"Mum lost her hair during her chemotherapy and radiation ... she was particular about her appearance, so it was a very undignifying thing to go through," Kristal said.
"I just want to help and really want to make a difference."