As many people head out in search of Valentine’s Day gifts over the next few weeks, a local boutique is offering a way to choose a gift that gives back. In partnership with the local support group Woman to Woman, BSK Design at the Chroma Gallery in Guilford will donate a portion of its sales to ovarian cancer research from Tuesday, Feb. 9 to Sunday, Feb. 14.

Woman to Woman is a local support group for women who have had or are in treatment for ovarian cancer or another gynecological cancer. The idea to start this fundraising project began when member Kathleen Gaughran stopped into the Chroma Gallery and noticed a collection of teal jewelry. Teal is the color associated with ovarian cancer and the designs sparked an idea.

“I went in and I happened to see the teal pieces and I approached the owner, Barbara Shulman-Kirwin, and asked if maybe we could do something to raise awareness,” she said. “She looked at me and told me her mother had died of ovarian cancer and then we said, ‘Well, why don’t we make this fundraiser?”

Shulman-Kirwin offered to donate a percentage of her sales to research on certain days, an offer Gaughran said was very generous.

“She said she would take 30 percent, which would be her profit really, and turn it over to ovarian cancer research,” she said.

The proceeds are going directly to Discovery to Cure, a program responsible for advancing the prevention, early detection, and treatment of women’s reproductive cancers at Smilow Hospital.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), nearly 20,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year. The cancer is the fifth leading cause of death for women and causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system.

Graughran said while raising money for treatment has been very important, she is hoping the collaboration between Woman to Woman and the Chroma Gallery will help raise awareness.

“We are really trying to make women more aware to take better care of themselves,” she said. “This is about helping women be aware before they have to be thinking about coming to the group, so we decided we would put our energy more into getting the message out.”

During the fundraising week in February, Woman to Woman and the Chroma Galley will also host an informal reception on Thursday, Feb. 11 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the gallery.

“Anybody is welcome to come,” she said. “We are just glad to have this event to help make people aware.”

To learn more about the event and ovarian cancer, visit www.woman2womangyn.org.