For the 18th consecutive time, friends, volunteers and community members will gather in Annapolis to honor Wendi Winters through a tradition of service that has helped provide more than 2,300 lifesaving units of blood for patients in need. Many participants have supported the event for more than a decade, returning each year to celebrate Wendi’s legacy of kindness, compassion and service.

Saturday’s 18th Wendi Winters Memorial Blood Drive is expected to bring together longtime supporters, first-time donors and community members united by a common purpose: honoring Wendi’s memory through an act that can help hospital patients facing surgery, cancer treatment, traumatic injuries and other serious medical conditions.

WHEN:

Saturday, September 12, 2026
8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

WHERE:

Crowne Plaza Hotel, Arundel Ballroom
173 Jennifer Road
Annapolis, MD 21401

VISUALS & INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:

• Community members donating blood in honor of Wendi Winters
• Volunteers and supporters who have participated in the event for more than a decade
• Donors sharing why they continue to return each year
• Blood collection activities throughout the day
• American Red Cross representatives discussing the drive’s impact and legacy

WHY IT MATTERS:

Wendi Winters was a Navy mom, American Red Cross blood drive volunteer and journalist who lost her life, alongside four others, in the mass shooting at the Capital Gazette on June 28, 2018.

But that’s not where her story ends.

Since her tragic death, her community has come together twice a year to donate blood in Wendi’s memory and help others – as Wendi did.

More than a decade after it began, the Wendi Winters Memorial Blood Drive remains a testament to the power of community and the lasting impact one person can have on others. What started as a tribute has become a longstanding Annapolis tradition, with friends and supporters returning year after year to turn remembrance into action.

As participants gather for the 18th drive, they continue a legacy that has connected neighbors, inspired service and helped provide thousands of opportunities to support patients in need.

MEDIA CONTACT

Bethany Bray Patterson
American Red Cross
703-744-0343

Bethany.Patterson@redcross.org