Local cancer survivors and patients will feel like Hollywood stars Monday night when they walk down the purple carpet at the Sherri S. James Annual Survivors Banquet at 6 p.m. at the Carl C. Morgan Convention Center.

Local volunteers with Dallas County Relay for Life will help them celebrate their journey and battle with the deadly disease.

“The mission of it is to celebrate the journey of those cancer survivors within the community and to let them know that they are our hope,” said Bridget Mills, community manager for the American Cancer Society. “They are proof that the American Cancer society and the work they do is winning the fight over cancer.”

Seeing the survivors honored provides the multitude of volunteers with living proof that their mission to battle cancer and raise awareness for the disease is working.

“We know that cancer is a very dreaded disease and the journey to being cancer free is a long and very tedious one,” Mills said. “So the fact that they can stand and be honored by stating that they have survived cancer gives us something to celebrate.”

Mills said the banquet also serves as a beacon of hope for those still being treated.

“It also provides hope to the cancer patients who have just heard the words ‘you have cancer,’” Mills said. “When they look at those cancer patients who have survived cancer for 20 or 30 years, it lets them know that they can do it as well.”

Each year’s banquet has a different theme, and this year’s is a “Purple Carpet Affair.”

“We want the cancer survivors and caregivers to feel as though they are stars,” Mills said. “There will be some special awards that will awarded during the night, and we have special entertainment that we hope lightens the moment and gives them a reason to laugh and to rejoice and celebrate.”

Around 100 survivors and patients will be honored Monday night, but the ACS and Dallas Relay for Life would love to see more in the future.

Survivors and patients that are not registered can do so by visiting www.relayforlife.org/dallasal or call 1-800-227-2345.