On Thursday night, DKMS held their annual Halloween benefit, The Blood Ball, at the Paramount Hotel Diamond Horseshoe located in Times Square.
DKMS is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating blood cancers like leukemia and other blood-related illnesses, inspiring both men and women around the world to register as bone marrow and blood stem cell donors. The entirety of proceeds of The Blood Ball go directly to helping patients find their lifesaving matches.
Guests included Orange Is The New Black stars Taryn Manning and Selenis Leyva, True Blood star Carrie Preston, Rachel Smith, Consuelo Costin, Heather Hahn, Katia Kokoreva, Iskra Lawrence, Rain Dove, Ryan Serhant, Emilia Bechrakis, Tabitha Simmons, and Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.
Hosted by Kartharina Harf and Charlotte Santo Domingo, the themed evening was the place to be for Halloween weekend. The evening began with an open bar serving custom drinks from AB InBev, Wölffer Estate Vineyard, El Buho Mezcal, Atlantico Rum and Espolon Tequila along with live music provided by DJ Mick. As in Halloween tradition, sweets were a must-have. Part of the venue makeover included confectionary booths surrounding the stage, filled with desserts from cake pops to macarons, provided by Baked by Melissa, Dana’s Bakery, Duane Park Patisserie, NY Cake Pops, and many more.
In addition, savory hors d’oeuvres were also served, including injectable gazpacho grilled cheese, duck breast, lemongrass wrapped shrimp, and more. Once the crowd became well adjusted to the atmosphere, the stage lit up with neon lights, preparing for a night full of entertainment. Acts showcased included aerial performances from Shien Artists, tap dancers, burlesque actresses, and more. Later in the evening, certified triple-platinum awarded singer/songwriter Grace gave a special performance on stage for the event.
Guests went home with a custom gift bags from Ricky’s NYC and a specially designed Gabriel & Co. pendant necklace.
