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Listen: Kevin Tuerff, whose story is told in the musical 'Come From Away' explains how his 9/11 experience inspired him to start a kindness movement that has spread around the world
Kevin Tuerff was one of thousands of airline passengers who were diverted to Gander in Newfoundland, Canada, where they received an overwhelming welcome by the small town.
The story has been brought to life on stage in the musical Come From Away. Kevin Teurff – known as the “Real Kevin T” – is one of those real-life “come from aways” depicted in the show.
On September 11, 2001, Kevin was flying back to Texas from Paris, via New York City.
“We were a couple of hours out from New York City, when there was a sudden drop in elevation and a sharp turn to the right,” Kevin said.
“I looked up at the GPS monitor and it looked like we were flying to the North Pole. Finally, the pilot came on the intercom and said, ‘Due to a terrorist attack, we’ll be landing in Gander.’ And I didn’t know if that was Iceland or Canada or where it was.”
“And so we were one of 38 jumbo jets that landed there in this tiny town. A town of 9000 people took in 5700 refugees from 90 different countries. And they gave us food, clothing and shelter. And it was amazing.”
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