Laurel hosts blood drive in memory of Brian Bennett

A blood drive at the Joseph R. Robison Laurel Municipal Center will give Laurel residents a way to turn grief into a direct act of care. The city’s memorial event for Brian Bennett is set for Thursday, June 25, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 8103 Sandy Spring Road, and organizers are asking participants to sign up in advance by scanning a QR code.

The City of Laurel is listing the program as “Blood Drive - In Memory of Brian Bennett,” framing it as both a remembrance and a practical response to patient need. The event is meant to honor Bennett while supporting people who need donated blood, a reminder that a local memorial can also meet an immediate medical need for area patients and the families depending on treatment, surgery, and emergency care.

Bennett, Brian Michael Bennett, died unexpectedly in Pasadena, Maryland, on Sunday, April 19, 2026. He was 43 years old. His obituary says he was born on January 14, 1983, was raised in Laurel, and spent most of his life there. He was the son of Bob and Eileen Bennett and the brother of Diane Nestor.

Local reporting and city coverage described Bennett as a longtime employee of the City of Laurel Department of Public Works, where he helped maintain the city’s infrastructure and day-to-day operations. People who worked with him and knew him remembered him as a dependable presence in the city, the kind of person trusted to keep essential services moving even when residents barely noticed the work happening behind the scenes.

The June 25 drive will take place at the municipal center, and the city calendar also lists a separate Laurel Volunteer Fire Department blood drive presence on its site. The memorial drive, however, is the one specifically tied to Bennett, making it both a community event and a direct call for blood donors to step forward for patients who need the supply now.