Coty, DKMS help raise $3.2M to support fight against blood cancer

NEW YORK — Beauty company Coty and DKMS, the world's largest bone marrow donor center, jointly raised $3.2 million to support the fight against blood cancer during the recently held DKMS 6th Annual Gala: Linked Against Blood Cancer.



The DKMS 6th Annual Gala: Linked Against Blood Cancer was held in late April at Cipriani Wall Street to a sold-out audience. The gala, hosted by Katharina Harf, chief inspiration officer of DKMS Americas, once again broke records of previous years, raising $3.2 million to support the fight against blood cancer.



"The Coty family is passionate in its commitment to supporting DKMS and to saving lives," stated Bernd Beetz, CEO of Coty and honorary chairman of the event. "We are so proud that this year — thanks in part to the support of Coty employees, partners and supporters — we were able to reach new heights of fundraising success."



For more than two decades, DKMS has registered more than 3 million donors and helped save more than 30,000 lives around the world. Still, only 6-out-of-10 people are able to find a matching donor.



During the gala, Beetz presented the "DKMS Linked Against Blood Cancer Award" to internationally renowned supermodel and Coty business partner Heidi Klum for her charitable work, which includes efforts to fight cancer.



DKMS founder Peter Harf presented Alejandro Santo Domingo — a long-standing board member and supporter of DKMS, and senior managing director of Quadrant Capital Advisors — with the "Fight Against Blood Cancer Award" for supporting organizations and charities dedicated to the cause.



Another highlight of the evening was "The Moment of the Match" when Harf introduced Mindi Finch and her 6-year-old son, Gregory, to Katie D'Entremont, who saved Gregory's life.



Designer and television personality Nate Berkus emceed the black-tie event, which included performances by five-time Grammy-nominated singer Skylar Grey and singer-songwriter LP, who has penned songs for Rihanna and Christina Aguilera and was recently named one of Esquire's 2012 rising stars. Among the guests at the star-studded gala were Solange Knowles, Nelly, Ashanti, Dakota Fanning, Vera Wang, Kyle MacLachlan, Anja Rubik, Derek Lam and Coco Rocha.



Earlier that day, in honor of the Coty-DKMS Linked Against Blood Cancer partnership and the DKMS 6th Annual Gala, Klum illuminated the iconic New York City landmark Empire State Building in red and white lights.



Coty joined DKMS in October 2006 in the fight against blood cancer. Blood cancer also touched Coty in a very personal way in 1991, when the wife of former longtime Coty chairman Peter Harf succumbed to leukemia.



All proceeds from the DKMS 6th Annual Gala will go directly to enrolling lifesaving bone marrow donors, and furthering advancements in cancer treatment and care. Each year, more than 140,000 people are diagnosed with blood cancer, including leukemia, which is the most common cancer among children and adolescents.