Media contact: Keith Paul
Regional Communications Director
keith.paul@redcross.org | 702-400-7680
SALT LAKE CITY (Sept. 11, 2026) — As the nation marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the American Red Cross of Utah is asking Utahns to observe the National Day of Service and Remembrance through acts of service that support neighbors and strengthen communities.
The anniversary honors the 2,977 people who died in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. In the years since, service has become part of how Americans observe the day, whether by volunteering, donating blood or finding another way to help others.
“The service we saw after 9/11 showed how people can come together when others need help,” said Heidi Ruster, Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross Utah/Nevada Region. “That same spirit can be seen every day in someone giving blood, responding to a home fire or helping a neighbor.”
Give Blood in Honor of 9/11
Utahns can also observe the National Day of Service and Remembrance by donating blood or platelets. Blood is needed every day for accident victims, cancer patients, people with sickle cell disease, mothers experiencing complications during childbirth and others who depend on transfusions.
Following a summer blood crisis that pushed the national blood supply to critically low levels, donors helped improve the supply. Continued donations are needed to help maintain that progress and ensure blood is available when hospitals need it.
In Utah, the Red Cross collected 138,396 units of blood during 4,281 blood drives in 2025. During the first seven months of 2026, 84,511 units were collected at 2,442 blood drives.
Appointments to give blood or platelets can be made through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, by visiting redcross.org/GiveBlood or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Those who come to give blood or platelets Sept. 1-20, 2026, will receive an exclusive Red Cross × Hello Kitty® plush mascot clip and surprise sticker pack, while supplies last. Details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/HelloKitty.
Serve as a Red Cross Volunteer
Volunteers make up more than 90% of the Red Cross workforce and carry out much of the organization’s work in communities across the country. They respond to home fires and other disasters, support blood drives, teach preparedness and safety skills and help active-duty military members and their families.
In Utah, Red Cross volunteers respond to hundreds of home fires and other emergencies each year. Since 2020, the Red Cross has responded to more than 1,000 home fires in Utah and helped nearly 5,000 people. Volunteers also install thousands of free smoke alarms in homes across the state each year. To learn more or apply to become a volunteer, visit redcross.org/volunteer.
About the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance
In 2009, Congress designated Sept. 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance to honor the 2,977 people who died in the terrorist attacks of 2001. Americans observe the day through volunteer projects and other acts of service. It is one of two federally recognized National Days of Service, along with Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds, and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.
