Abby Connolly
A man with an intense story from 9/11 has taken his terrifying experience and turned it into something beautiful after creating an organization dedicated to good deeds.
On September 11th, 2001, the day of the horrific terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City, Kevin Tuerff, a CEO of a marketing firm, was on his way home to the United States after a European vacation.
When news of the attack broke, Kevin and thousands of other passengers were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland.
According to People magazine, more than 7,000 people had landed in Gander that day. Something that Kevin remembers the most is the compassion from the local residents.
“It took me seven days to get home, finally, and after that, I continued to be blown away thinking of the kindness and compassion of the people on that island,” he told People magazine.
The community in Gander did not hesitate to welcome and assist the stranded passengers. They provided food, housed people, and gave clothes to those who needed them.
When Kevin had returned home to Texas, he began to wonder if any U.S. cities would be willing to show that same kind of support to those in need. He was inspired by the book and movie titled, Pay It Forward. Wanting to ‘pay it forward’ to his community, Kevin started spreading and promoting acts of kindness.
Kevin began by closing his business early and giving his employees $100 in pairs. He’d then ask those pairs to go out into the neighborhood and do random acts of kindness while inspiring others to pay it forward.
At the end of their accomplished days, the staff would all gather together in their conference room to discuss how they helped people. Thus, the ‘Pay It Forward’ charity organization was born!
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