(photo by Vivien Killilea)

The organization Delete Blood Cancer DKMS held its first official Los Angeles event on Nov. 12 with the inaugural “When Stars Align” dinner at Terrine. Katharina Harf, co-founder and board director of Delete Blood Cancer DKMS,  hosted the event for 70 VIPs and representatives of the fashion, beauty and entertainment industries. Pictured are Friends of DKMS members and philanthropist Kim Chandler (left); Jimmy Choo’s director of entertainment relations Sara Riff; Curve Boutique owner Nevena Borissova; Harf; OPI co-founder Suzi Weiss-Fischmann and Creative Artists Agency agent Christian Carino.

Blood Cancer, the world’s largest bone marrow donor center with more than 5.7 million registered donors, 55,000 of whom have successfully donated to patients in need. As the organization expands in Los Angeles, the dinner highlighted the simple and important act of registering as a donor, where a simple cheek swab can help save a life.

Only 30 percent of patients in need of a bone marrow transplant are able to find one within their family; the rest must rely on donations from strangers. More than 14,000 patients suffering from diseases like leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma, among others, need to find a match outside their biological family each year. For information and to register as a donor, visit www.DeleteBloodCancer.org.