'We Said We'd Never Forget': Group Honors 9/11 Victims Every Year with Countless Acts of Kindness

A lot of the aspects of our daily lives are forgettable. When we’re on autopilot and steeped in the familiar, the days can blur together — but you’d be hard-pressed to find any U.S. resident who doesn’t remember exactly where they were and what they were doing on Sept. 11, 2001.

There are as many ways to cope with the attack as there are people, as each person processes the event and its aftermath a little differently. One group, in particular, has taken the opportunity to face the great evil of that day with a kind heart, spurring countless acts of kindness each September as a way of remembering those who lost their lives on that infamous day.

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“Pay It Forward 🕯️9/11” was created shortly after the attacks when a man named Kevin Tuerff was spending some unplanned time in Gander, Newfoundland, after his plane was grounded following the fall of the towers.

According to what he told People, Tuerff was deeply impressed with the kindness and sacrifice the nearly 9,000 Canadian locals showed around 7,000 unexpected guests as passengers on diverted planes were routed to the island.

“It took me seven days to get home, finally, and after that, I continued to be blown away thinking of the kindness and compassion of the people on that island,” Tuerff said.