At 9:26 a.m. on September 11th, 2001, the Federal Aviation Administration shut down U.S. airspace forcing 4,000 planes to land immediately. Thirty-eight of those planes containing 7,000 passengers landed in Gander, Newfoundland, a small town with a population (at the time) of about 9,000. The events that happened in Gander in the days following 9/11 inspired the musical COME FROM AWAY. The characters in that show are based on interviews with real people, including the character Kevin T. Kevin Tuerff was on the second plane to land in Gander on 9/11. He was traveling with his partner (also named Kevin) from Paris to the United States when their Air France flight was diverted to Newfoundland. Much of his video footage was used in the documentary “You Are Here.” He wrote “Channel of Peace” in response to audience interest and desire to learn more about the kindness of people in Gander, Newfoundland.
About the Guest
Kevin Tuerff is a social entrepreneur, author, and speaker with 25 years of experience in marketing communications. He has co-founded a college radio station, America Recycles Day, an international kindness initiative, and a certified B Corporation environmental marketing company. He is passionate about finding solutions for global climate change, immigrants, and refugees. He is also an Ambassador for the Charter of Compassion. For more information visit https://www.channelofpeacebook.com/.
As a follow-up, I interviewed Kevin Tuerff post-pandemic shutdown. Watch that live chat here.
