DKMS, the most significant non-profit organization in the world to fight blood cancer, welcomed supporters to its 18th annual gala on October 17th at New York’s Cipriani Wall Street. The black-tie event raised $4.7 million in essential funding for DKMS’s global lifesaving work. The evening’s honoree was pioneering fashion designer Vera Wang, recognized for her many years of dedicated support for DKMS and her exceptional contributions to the organization’s mission.
The gala featured a performance by Grammy Award- and Golden Globe award-winning singer and actress Andra Day (The United States vs Billie Holiday, “Rise Up”), with an auction hosted by comedian and actor Mario Cantone (Sex and the City, The View, The Masked Singer).
Notable guests included fashion designer Marc Jacobs, supermodels Niki Taylor and Coco Rocha, MSNBC President Rashida Jones, broadcaster, entrepreneur, and global ambassador for Rimmel London Maya Jama, iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman, and hairstylist/entrepreneur Frederic Fekkai. Inspiring on-stage remarks were delivered by Katharina Harf, DKMS Global Chairman, and Peter Harf, DKMS Founder.
Gala guests experienced a moving, on-stage moment of gratitude when Brooklyn St. John, an 11-year-old blood disease survivor from Kansas, was introduced to her lifesaving stem cell donor, Justin Bradshaw. Brooklynn and her family’s lives were upended by a sudden diagnosis of severe aplastic anemia that nearly took her life. Last night, Brooklynn and her mother finally had the opportunity to thank her genetic twin, a firefighter paramedic, and father of two from Texas, in person with a hug.
Honoree Vera Wang shares, “I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from DKMS, an organization whose lifesaving mission has always inspired me. The courage and resilience of patients and donors alike are a reminder of the immense power we hold when we come together to fight blood cancer. It is a privilege to support DKMS’s incredible work, and I hope that through continued efforts, we can give even more people a second chance at life.”
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