When the United States closed its airspace on September 11, 2001, 38 planes carrying 7,000 passengers had to land somewhere. That somewhere turned out to be Gander, Newfoundland, a town of about 12,000 people who had no advance warning and no master plan. What they had was each other, and they put that to work immediately.
Schools and churches threw open their doors. The local hockey rink became a massive walk-in cooler for the food residents kept bringing. Volunteers like Beulah Cooper handed out sandwiches, gave rides to pay phones, and welcomed strangers into her own home. Travelers from dozens of countries found themselves fed, sheltered, and cared for by people they had never met.
The story became the Tony Award-winning musical“Come From Away,”which its creators call a“9/12 musical”because it focuses on what happened the morning after, not the tragedy itself. Former Mayor Claude Elliott has seen the show 139 times across six countries, and it still moves him every time. Maybe that’s because it isn’t really about 2001. It’s about what any of us would do if the whole world suddenly needed a place to land. What would your community do?
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
