mmg.com.au

The third annual Lacky’s Tribute Night will be at Jack’s Shed in Lockington on March 23.

The night is a party to remember Lockington resident Lynette ‘Lacky’ O’Brien, who lost her battle with cancer in 2010 and to raise money for the Bendigo Peter Macs Radiotherapy Foundation.

Lacky’s husband Shane ‘Jack’ O’Brien organises the event along with a small committee.

Last year 350 people attended the event and this year an extra stage has been added to cater for the expected crowd.

District bands such as The Lost Follicles and Acoustic Republic and more will provide the entertainment and district businesses have donated prizes for raffles.

Lockington Lions Club will cook the barbecue and a shuttle bus will operate from Echuca to the event.

Photos of Lacky will play in the background and her motto for life, ‘‘live, love, laugh’’, will be displayed on stubby holders, along with a print of a yellow butterfly.

The yellow butterfly has significance for Mr O’Brien as a year after Lacky died he walked the Kokoda track with a group of friends and was still grieving for his wife.

When he began his trek he noticed a bright yellow butterfly in the foliage.

It was the exact colour he associated with Lacky as she had always grown daffodils and sold them to raise money for cancer research.

It circled him three times and landed on his heart.

‘‘I thought that has got to be Lacky,’’ he said.

‘‘It was yellow like a daffodil and the only yellow I saw in the jungle.’’

Last year the night raised $8000 but this year Mr O’Brien expected it would draw in more than $10,000 this year.

Mr O’Brien chose to donate the proceeds of the event to the Peter Macs foundation because he received treatment there for prostate cancer before his wife was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer in the oesophagus.

He said the past few years had been like a roller-coaster ride for him and his four children.

‘‘I really look forward to the night. It’s a reunion for my kids and friends,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s great for me, the whole night is like therapy.’’

He said he was pleased he was doing something useful towards fighting cancer and the night helped the grieving process.

He said Lacky would be embarrassed being the focus of the night.

‘‘She was a very popular girl but a private sort of person,’’ Mr O’Brien said.

To book a ticket phone Shirley on 0429798979.