Detroit’s sickle cell community will gather Saturday at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America–Michigan Chapter’s 2026 Annual Sickle Cell Matters Walk, an event that will bring together families, advocates, health partners and community supporters for a day centered on awareness, education and action.
The Sept. 12 walk, themed “It’s A Family Reunion — Our Sickle Cell Roots Run Deep,” will feature Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, an honorary co-chair, along with fellow honorary co-chairs and Sickle Cell Warriors Martayla Kemp-Stringer and DeAndra Smith.
The event also will serve as the official launch and first public appearance of SCDAA-MI’s new mobile Sickle Cell Disease Awareness and Trait Testing Van. The vehicle is designed to expand the organization’s statewide education and outreach efforts, with sickle cell trait testing services scheduled to begin in 2027. Testing will not be available at Saturday’s walk.
Among those bringing a personal message to the event is Egypt, an 11-year-old sickle cell warrior and Girl Scout Junior who has turned her experience living with the disease into a community education campaign.
Through her Girl Scout Bronze Award project, “Egypt’s Red Alert: Give Blood. Fight Sickle Cell,” Egypt is encouraging people to learn about the importance of blood donation for individuals living with sickle cell disease and other blood disorders. The Bronze Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Junior can earn.
Egypt will host an educational table at the walk, where she will distribute materials about blood donation and provide information about Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan. She also is encouraging people to register for the walk, join Team Egypt or support the campaign through donations.
Her project is rooted in her own experience as a sickle cell warrior and is intended to help community members understand how blood donations can support children and adults living with blood disorders.
September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month, giving added significance to the community gathering and its focus on education and the need for blood donors.
Sickle cell disease is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States. The annual walk supports SCDAA-MI’s efforts in education, advocacy and assistance for individuals and families affected by sickle cell disease.
Dr. Wanda Shurney, CEO and Medical Director of SCDAA-MI, and a representative from the American Red Cross of Michigan also will participate in the event and be available for interviews.
Egypt has spent three years as a Girl Scout and is preparing to bridge from Junior to first-year Cadette. She is a two-time Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan Top Cookie Seller. During the 2026 Girl Scout Cookie Program, she sold 3,022 boxes, ranking No. 23 among 627 Girl Scouts across the council.
Her activities extend beyond cookie sales. Egypt studies four forms of dance — contemporary, jazz, ballet and tap — and majors in theater at her school, where she also participates in travel opportunities. As a Girl Scout, she takes part in camping, kayaking and ice fishing.
Her Bronze Award campaign adds blood-donation advocacy to those activities, giving Egypt an opportunity to use her story to educate people in her community.
The walk will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Charles H. Wright Museum, 315 E. Warren Ave. in Detroit, rain or shine. Community activities will include the walk, resource partners, family-focused activities, fundraising efforts and opportunities for participants to support sickle cell awareness.
The event also will feature walk contests, custom shirts and signs, with sickle cell warriors, families, teams and community supporters participating throughout the day.
For Egypt, Team Egypt will provide another avenue for people to connect with her blood-donation campaign and support her efforts to raise awareness.
SCDAA-MI’s new mobile van will be available for attendees to see during the event as the organization introduces the vehicle to the public. Its future role will include statewide awareness and outreach, followed by trait testing services beginning in 2027.
Registration for the walk is $25 for adults and $10 for youth ages 5 to 15. Children ages 4 and under can attend for free. Registration and additional information are available through SCDAA-MI.
The event is expected to provide opportunities for families affected by sickle cell disease to connect with one another, engage with community resources and raise awareness about the condition.
Egypt’s presence also reflects the role young people can play in that work. Through “Egypt’s Red Alert,” she is using her personal experience, Girl Scout leadership and community involvement to encourage blood donation and help others understand its importance to people living with blood disorders.
For members of Detroit’s sickle cell community, Saturday’s gathering will bring those efforts together under one roof — from awareness and advocacy to education, family engagement and the introduction of a new tool for reaching communities across Michigan.
Registration information is available at www.scdaami.org.
