By: Jenny Castro
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times, 9/12/25)
On Thursday, September 18th, 2025, the World Children’s Transplant Fund (WCTF) will hold it’s fundraising gala in support of their mission for providing life-saving organ transplants for children around the world. Founded in 1988 by Mark Kroeker, WCTF has continued to provide vital resources and educational training for various developing countries while continuing to advocate for those in need of support and services. Based in Los Angeles, former LAPD Deputy Chief and Founder Mark Kroeker strives to keep WCTF’s mission alive and looks forward to this year’s gala which will help support the non-profit’s purpose.
Looking back to the origins of WCTF, Kroeker reflects with gratitude, “At the time, I was a deputy chief and was asked to travel to Argentina to participate and develop an exchange with the Argentinean police,” he said. Adding, “Upon arrival, I encountered a visit to a mountain village and was met by several children who greeted me while singing songs. And in their traditional greeting they kiss you on the cheek and it was very moving. Being a policeman, you don’t always get welcomed in the most pleasant ways. So when I got back to LA, I learned about a little girl named Veronica who was dying of idiopathic cirrhosis of the liver, and they weren’t doing organ transplants in Argentina at the time but we tried our best to raise money to help save her.” Although Veronica passed despite life saving procedures, Kroeker made a commitment and promise to keep her memory alive by helping others which led to the creation of WCTF and since then the organization has been successful in saving children’s lives.
Elaborating more on the mission is board member Valerie McCaffrey, “Well, we thank God that our children are healthy, and we have to realize that not everyone’s child is healthy. And I think it’s a responsibility for us as humans to help those in need and how do you do that? You raise money. When we worked with Armenia, we had doctors that came here and trained, shadowed USC doctors and they are now able to go back to their countries and actually be able to perform transplants,” McCaffrey explained. Essential to WCTF’s mission is their capabilities to provide educational training for doctors in other countries. Kroeker acknowledges the commitment to trainings but also knows the realities of limited organ donations, “We have lots of technology, and got all the training that doctors need, but what we don’t have is organs,” he stated. Adding, “Especially for children, because 13 to 17 people die every single day in the U. S. because an organ isn’t available for them. So they die while being sick of a disease that could be remedied with an organ transplant. In the U.S., we focus on teaching, which would be awareness. You can be an organ donor, and organ donor awareness worldwide is very critical. So we support educational programs, brochures, and ad campaigns that support our causes here and globally as well.” Currently, WCTF is providing for families including a young boy out of Ukraine in need of a liver transplant, “He went to Poland as a refugee with his family, and we’re supporting that family so they can get the medical care to keep him alive,” Kroeker said.
Coming up on Thursday, September 18th, WCTF will host their gala in support of their cause. Titled “Hearts of Gold,” attendees can expect celebrity appearances, an auction, guest speakers and more. It should be noted that past donors include the likes of Steven Spielberg and this year the event anticipates special appearances and support from a variety of guests. This year, actor and celebrity spokesperson Lorenzo Lamas will also be in attendance and loves supporting charitable causes, “I’ve been involved with WCTF since the mid 80s and was intrigued by the kind of charity this was. Supporting causes for kids and animals are my two favorites and at the time I went to a fashion show and that’s where I met Mark Kroeker who was speaking,” Lamas said. Adding, “For a few years I held a motorcycle charity ride here in Los Angeles to raise money for WCTF, and I’ve been a spokesperson for many years. I’ve been so fortunate to give back to causes that are worthwhile where people’s lives are directly affected by the donations that people make. Through the foundation dinners we’ve had over the years, I’ve also been able to meet some of the young people whose lives have been saved because of WCTF. And it’s real life when you meet a child that is directly affected by the work that Mark and the charity does and it’s so satisfying and fulfilling, and I love that.”
Attendees can also expect a showcase of elegant cars from Galpin Auto Sports and a night honoring Chairman of KW Commercial Landmark (Real Estate Investment Company) Mark Wittcoff who will be the Hearts of Gold Award Recipient, “We’re honoring Mark because of his philanthropic work over the years. And we want to say thank you to him,” Kroeker said. Celebrities such as Eric Roberts and Fiona Dourif will also be in attendance along with LA’s Chief of Police. Expect a heartwarming night, red carpet, silent auction, and a wonderful evening supporting humanitarian efforts.
Event Details:
Location: Galpin Auto Sports
15600 Roscoe Blvd Van Nuys, CA 91406
5:00 pm -8:00 pm PDT
Click here for more info.
Official: https://www.wctf.org/
Ticket purchases here.
