25 years after 9/11, campaign encourages people to pay kindness forward
By Community Correspondent
People around the world are being encouraged to mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11 today by doing something kind for someone else.
Pay It Forward 9/11 has been running its 11 Days of Kindness campaign since September 1, with people asked to carry out three good deeds for others in memory of those who died in the attacks.
Organisers hope the campaign will inspire at least 25,000 acts of kindness, from helping a neighbour to buying someone a coffee or thanking someone who helps the community.
Events and activities have been taking place in New York, Washington, D.C., Gander in Newfoundland, Canada, and elsewhere, bringing together schools, businesses, volunteers and local communities.
Gander has a special connection to the story.
After the 9/11 attacks, hundreds of flights were diverted to the small Newfoundland town, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. Local people opened their homes, cooked meals and cared for the unexpected visitors.
One of those passengers was Kevin Tuerff, who went on to found Pay It Forward 9/11.
“Twenty-five years ago, in the darkest of circumstances, strangers stepped forward to help strangers,” he said.“You don’t need to do something enormous. Buy someone a cup of coffee, help aneighbour, volunteer, thank someone who serves your community. Kindness is something every one of us can do.”
Tuerff founded Pay It Forward 9/11 in 2002 after being inspired by the generosity he experienced in Gander.
The organisation has continued to encourage people to remember 9/11 by passing that kindness on to others. Today, 25 years after the attacks, people are being asked to keep that spirit alive with a simple act of kindness.
