Heidi Klum to Illuminate the Empire State Building to Shine a Light on the Fight Against Blood Cancer

NEW YORK, April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Internationally renowned supermodel Heidi Klum will join, today, the world's largest bone marrow donor center, DKMS, and leading global beauty company Coty Inc. illuminate the Empire State Building in red and white―raising awareness for the fight against blood cancer. Klum will speak at the special morning lighting ceremony at the Empire State Building, joined by Alina Suprunova, Director of Special Projects of DKMS Americas, and Bernd Beetz, CEO of Coty Inc. and honorary chairman of the sixth annual DKMS Gala. Heidi Klum develops fragrances with Coty, including her debut scent Heidi Klum Shine. She also serves as the face and artistic director of Coty's global beauty brand ASTOR.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120426/NY95202LOGO )

The lighting ceremony will commemorate the sixth anniversary of both the Coty-DKMS Linked Against Blood Cancer partnership and annual DKMS Gala, hosted by DKMS Chief Inspiration Officer, Katharina Harf. At this year's star-studded DKMS Gala, taking place on April 26, at Cipriani Wall Street, Bernd Beetz will present Heidi Klum with the 'Linked Against Blood Cancer Award' in recognition of her tremendous dedication to the fight against blood cancer and her support of DKMS Life, a program that helps women with blood cancer look and feel better. "I am honored to join Bernd and DKMS in their all-important fight against blood cancer, and to celebrate the sixth annual DKMS Gala," said Klum. "When the Empire State Building is shining red and white, I hope that it will remind everyone who sees it that we all have the power to save lives. As a mother, I am especially mindful that leukemia is the most common form of cancer among children; I hope these efforts will inspire people to register as bone marrow donors with DKMS and possibly save the life of a patient in need."

"We are all very excited that Heidi has joined us in our work to help save the lives of blood cancer patients," said Katharina Harf. "Having gone through the pain of losing my mother to this disease, it is my life's mission—and the mission of DKMS—to help others avoid that terrible loss. Heidi's status as a beloved and popular celebrity is invaluable in helping us achieve that goal."

"We at Coty greatly value Heidi's contributions to both our fragrance and color cosmetics portfolios, but the contributions she can make towards our fight against blood cancer and our efforts to register bone marrow donors is even more important," said Beetz.

"On the sixth anniversary of our partnership and the 21st anniversary of DKMS, it's gratifying to realize that we've saved thousands of lives so far, but we also recognize that we can't slow down our efforts—and with the continued support of good friends like Heidi, I know we won't."

Blood cancer is the second leading cause of all cancer deaths and kills more children in the U.S. than any other disease. Many could be saved by a bone marrow transplant, but there are not enough registered donors to find a match for everyone. Sadly, 6 out of 10 patients never receive the lifesaving transplant they need.

About the Coty-DKMS Linked Against Blood Cancer Partnership

In October 2006, Coty Inc., a leading global beauty company, joined DKMS as its founding corporate sponsor in the fight against blood cancer, by establishing the Coty-DKMS Linked Against Blood Cancer partnership―previously named the Coty-DKMS Linked Against Leukemia partnership. Led by CEO Bernd Beetz, Coty has leveraged its strong celebrity partnerships to raise awareness of the disease and help recruit thousands of donors around the world. For more information or to register as a bone-marrow donor, visit www.getswabbed.org.

About DKMS

The DKMS mission is to lead the fight to defeat blood cancer by empowering people to take action, give bone marrow and save lives. More than 30,000 DKMS donors have helped save lives by donating their bone marrow. DKMS is the world's largest bone marrow donor center, with more than 3 million registered donors worldwide. DKMS Americas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

For more information about global efforts against leukemia or the Coty-DKMS Linked Against Blood Cancer partnership, please visit www.getswabbed.org.

About the Empire State Building

Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan, the Empire State Building is the "World's Most Famous Office Building." With new investments in infrastructure, public areas and amenities, the Empire State Building has attracted first-rate tenants in a diverse array of industries from around the world. The skyscraper's robust broadcasting technology supports all major television and FM radio stations in the New York metropolitan market. The Empire State Building was named America's favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects. The Empire State Building Observatory is one of the world's most beloved attractions and is the region's #1 tourist destination. For more information on the Empire State Building, please visit www.esbnyc.com, www.facebook.com/EmpireStateBuilding or @EmpireStateBldg.

SOURCE Coty Inc.