The shiny, ruby-colored bag grabbed Bismarck Cancer Center therapist Amy Gross' attention.

Soon the other women gathered around the coffee shop table remarked on the bag's style and its embellishments. "It's amazing what an accessory can do," said Pam Emmil, an account executive at Fox News. "It can really pick up a woman's spirits."

This type of feeling is what the women hope other women experience during a glamorous evening for cancer survivors. The evening is a fundraiser for the Bismarck Cancer Center. "Women and shopping go together," said Jill Goetz, the public relations director at Bismarck Cancer Center.

It's a chance for people to come, dress up and be treated like a movie star on Monday at Lillian's, 108 N. Fifth St. A portion of the sales at Lillian's will be donated to the Bismarck Cancer Center.

Everyone at the table is touched by cancer, either through personal experience, family or work. They met on Tuesday morning at a coffee shop to work on details of organizing the event.

Originally, the evening was envisioned as an after-hours shopping event for about two dozen cancer survivors. Then, it expanded to an evening of red carpet treatment.

For one evening, they hope people forget about cancer and the stress that goes with it.

"As a survivor, it is always in the back of my mind," said Goetz.

At the fundraiser, they hope to have women who are going through treatment mingle with women who have had many years pass since their treatment. It's a way to give hope, said Susan Schwieter, who owns Lillian's and carried the much-admired red handbag.

Schwieter used to be a one-handbag kind of woman. Not anymore. After her father-in-law died, she found a new purpose for her life, and it happened to include designer look-alike handbags.

The store is a franchise with a commitment to helping women feel special. The women who started the franchise also are members of the Sara's Dance Foundation, which is in memory of a young woman who died of cancer.

It was at a benefit for the Sara's Dance Foundation when Schwieter started to see her new purpose in life. The event was glamourous, and touching. The benefit was to raise money for a spa-like wellness center for cancer survivors.

She saw the foundation and Lillians try to help meet the social needs of women. Those needs don't go away when they are going through cancer treatment.

"We like to say at the cancer center, that we're not just treating the cancer but the patient who has cancer," Goetz said. "Now we have a spiritual program and support groups."

With that in mind, Schwieter wanted to host a night that is as glamorous as she remembers the Sara's Dance Foundation event, that would support the Bismarck Cancer Center foundation.

The cancer center's foundation also helps meet some of the travel and lodging needs when patients from outside of the Bismarck-Mandan area come for treatment.

The event is 6 to 9 p.m. at Lillian's. In addition to a preview of new merchandise, there will be chair and hand massages and refreshments. The Peacock Alley, next door, donated some food for the event.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@;bismarcktribune.com.)