Channel of Peace: Stranded in Gander on 9/11

One of the inspirations for the smash hit Broadway musical Come From Away, Channel of Peace is an unforgettable memoir of the extraordinary kindness afforded to passengers whose flights were re-routed to Gander, Newfoundland, on September 11, 2001.

When Kevin Tuerff and his partner boarded their flight from France to New York City on September 11, 2001, they had no idea that a few hours later the world ― and their lives ― would change forever. After U.S. airspace closed following the terrorist attacks, Kevin, who had been experiencing doubts about organized religion, found himself in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, with thousands of other refugees or “come from aways.”

Channel of Peace is a beautiful account of how the people of Gander rallied with boundless acts of generosity and compassion for the “plane people,” renewing Kevin’s spirituality and inspiring him to organize an annual and growing “giving back” day. His unforgettable and uplifting story, along with others, has reached thousands of people when it was incorporated into the Broadway musical Come From Away.

KEVIN TUERFF is a social entrepreneur with twenty-five years of experience in marketing communications. He has founded a college radio station, a national recycling awareness day, an international kindness initiative, and a certified B Corporation environmental marketing company. He is passionate about finding solutions for global climate change and refugees, and has been named an Ambassador for the Charter of Compassion. A resident of Austin, Texas, for over thirty years, Tuerff now lives in New York City. Follow him on Twitter @channelof_peace and Instagram @channel_of_peace_book.