A man who was inspired by the kindness that a small Newfoundland town showed him and thousands of other stranded travelers on 9/11, starts a kindness initiative that has grown into a global phenomenon. On September 11th, 2001, Texas businessman Kevin Tuerff was flying back to the U.S. from Europe when the Twin Towers were attacked and the FAA grounded all U.S.-bound flights. His plane and many others were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland.
It took a week for Tuerff to get back to his home in Austin, Texas, but the experience he had in Gander would stay with him to this day. Gander, a town of about 9-thousand residents, opened their homes and welcomed more than 7-thousand travelers that day and Tuerff wondered if a small Texas town would be as welcoming to strangers in need.
The experience he had in Gander inspired Tuerff to start a pay-it-forward initiative at his company. He gave employees money and time off to perform random acts of kindness on the anniversary of 9/11 and every year since, the initiative has grown in size. This year, Tuerff’s group, PayItForward911.org, has a goal of performing more than 22-thousand good deeds leading up to September 11th. Later this year, Tuerff is heading back to Gander for a special performance of the Broadway musical “Come From Away,” that was inspired by the little Canadian village’s kindness. He says he’s thrilled to be going back to show the people of Gander all the good that they’re kindness has brought to the world.
Source: People