When Billie Colson’s granddaughter Mahayla was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, Colson did what artists do best — she created something.

Seventeen years later, “65 Roses for Cystic Fibrosis” has raised nearly $200,000 through rose-themed artworks sold each February at Independence Gallery, the Fourth Street business Colson has owned for more than 20 years.

Two years ago, she expanded the monthlong fundraiser to include zebra-themed art, the symbol for neuroendocrine cancer, after her husband, Ron, was diagnosed with the rare condition.

He died shortly after last year’s show, giving this February a different kind of weight.

“There’s a lot of power in positive thinking,” Colson said on Feb. 12 as she showed off the artwork in this year’s sale. “I have a lot to be grateful for. I’ve got a great home. I have a cute puppy and my friends are here.”

The show’s name and symbolism traces back decades, when a young cystic fibrosis patient overheard his mother talking about the condition and thought she was saying “65 roses.” The mispronunciation stuck, and eventually became the slogan of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to funding research.

A genetic disease, cystic fibrosis primarily affects the lungs and digestive system, causing thick mucus that leads to infections and difficulty absorbing nutrients. Although there is no cure, new treatment and drug therapies have dramatically improved outcomes and extended the lives of patients.

Colson’s granddaughter, Mahayla, has been the beneficiary of those new therapies, and is “very healthy,” according to her grandmother.

“Mahayla has only been in the hospital once,” Colson said. “Some kids have had sinus surgery or lung transplants. Some of the medications that they have work well for some but not others. So my granddaughter’s on the newest one.”

Artwork for Colson’s annual show is donated outright, with artists contributing pieces from around Colorado and as far away as Texas and Ireland. Colson said that some of the participating artists have personal connections to cystic fibrosis or neuroendocrine tumors, but others simply want to support the cause.

“When you do these events, you meet other people that you know that have a heart for it too,” Colson said.

Items in this year’s collection range from small canvas paintings — many by Colson herself — to blown glass, quilts, handmade socks and hats, jewelry and woodworking, much of it, she noted, “perfect for Valentine’s giving.”

Pieces from Colson’s late husband, a retired insurance adjuster who became an accomplished woodworker, are also part of the show. One handcrafted table — built from a cherry tree root ball and river stones — is displayed among the roses this year.

“He just had so much fun doing it,” Colson said.

The artwork is priced to fit most budgets, and “generous offers are welcome,” Colson said, noting that the show is a benefit first and foremost.

In most years, the fundraiser brings in between $9,000 and $11,000, though one year a gala and silent auction raised more than $30,000. In total, the event has generated nearly $200,000 for research.

This year’s sales have started more slowly, Colson acknowledged, likely due to ongoing HIP Streets construction along Fourth Street that has limited foot traffic and made parking more challenging for downtown visitors. As of Feb. 12, she estimated the show had raised about $1,000 since opening on Feb. 1.

Still, she remains optimistic.

“Yesterday, I gave myself a pep talk,” Colson said. “I kept my disposition better and the sales were better. You know, that positive thinking really does make a difference.”

Now in its 17th year, “65 Roses for Cystic Fibrosis” will likely be the last time Colson organizes the fundraiser herself. At 70, she said she is ready to step back from the responsibility, though she would gladly help if someone else chose to carry it forward.

“I’m always happy to still be involved,” she said. “But I’m ready to do other things.”

“65 Roses for Cystic Fibrosis” runs through the end of the month at Independence Gallery, 233 E. Fourth St. For more information, visit independencegallery.com.