WASHINGTON (ABC7) — It was September of 2018 when 35-year-old Wendy Martinez was stabbed to death in a random attack while on a run in Logan Circle. After her death, Martinez's friends and family started The Wendy Martinez Legacy Project to support causes that were close to her heart.
Those causes include things like women in technology, women's entrepreneurship, and promoting community through running.
Yet with so many people in need right now due to COVID-19, Martinez's loved ones believe she would want them to do even more.
"Wendy was someone that was always committed to giving back, and she's someone who would have taken the challenge that COVID-19 has presented and turned it into an opportunity to support others, and that's exactly what we're trying to do here," said Erica Chicola, who was one of Martinez's close friends.
So on Thursday, The Wendy Martinez Legacy Project announced it would be distributing $60,000 in grants to charity partners, with the hope of helping those organizations support the community during this unprecedented global pandemic.
"It's meaningful for us, because the community was so supportive to us, and that certainly was helpful to us during our grieving process," said Kristina Moore, another one of Martinez's close friends. "And you know, now is a time where more people are hurting. So we are excited to be able to do this for some of the same folks that supported us during a difficult time, and probably lots of folks that we don't know too."
The Wendy Martinez Legacy Project had previously donated money to organizations such as Girls On The Run DC and Back On My Feet, which both use running as a tool for empowerment. Moore and Chicola said those organizations are continuing to provide adapted services during the pandemic, and will again be on the receiving end of grants given by The Wendy Martinez Legacy Project.
RELATED: Girls On The Run DC gets big donation from The Wendy Martinez Legacy Project
This year, Martinez's friends and family expanded the list of charitable organizations to include groups that serve some of the vulnerable populations that have been most impacted by COVID-19. That includes the Capital Area Food Bank and World Central Kitchen, two DC-based organizations that have provided meals to families in need throughout the pandemic.
MobileMed, which works to provide healthcare access for all, is also getting a grant this year.
“Following Wendy’s tragic death, we felt immense support from the people of Washington, DC, South Florida, and beyond. Today, we are blessed to be in a position to give back to these special communities, including in critical areas of healthcare and food relief,” Juan Carlos (“Jr.”) Martinez, Wendy’s brother, said in a statement.
A full list of charity recipients is provided below:
"I think she would be proud to see all of this happening in her honor, and I think Wendy would encourage us to do everything we can to make a positive difference in this time," said Chicola. "I think she would encourage the community in general to give back where you can. It doesn't have to be financial, but people are going through so much right now. Be kinder. Be more generous with yourself, with the way you treat other people, with the way that you pay it forward. I think that's something that those of us who were lucky enough to know Wendy, we try to internalize that all the time. "
RELATED: Honoring Wendy Martinez one year after her death
To learn more about The Wendy Martinez Legacy Project and the grants that were awarded on Thursday, click here.
September 18 marks the second anniversary of Martinez's death. She is survived by her parents, Cora and Juan Carlos Martinez, her brother, Juan Carlos Jr., and her fiancé, Daniel Hincapie. Hincapie proposed to Martinez just days before her murder in 2018.
The man who took Martinez's life pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison last September. DC Police have said the deadly stabbing was a random attack, and there is no known motive behind the crime.