September 11, 2001, will always be one of the darkest days in American history. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives, according to the FBI.
Despite the devastation, stories of humanity and beauty persist. And the people of the tiny town of Gander, Newfoundland, highlight another one.
Following the initial airplane attacks in New York City that day (into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. and at 9:03 a.m. into the South Tower), the FAA worked quickly to shut down the national airspace in the United States by 9:45 a.m.
Across North America, people were stranded. And for those displaced in Gander—a total of 7,000 people from 38 planes—the care they were given was life-changing.
Known as Operation Yellow Ribbon, more than 250 planes were diverted to Canada, according to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.
Sue Riccardelli shares her Gander, Newfoundland, experience
Upworthy reader Sue Riccardelli was traveling on that Tuesday in September 2001. And her experience in Gander forever changed her.
“The plane I was on that day flying from Paris to Newark was diverted to Gander,” she wrote. “You’ll never meet more kind, more beautiful people. Four days of kindness and new friendships.”
Riccardelli and her wife, Maureen Murray, were together that day when they landed in Gander.
“As the planes were landing, the mayor of Gander, Claude Elliott, went door to door asking for extra blankets, pillows, towels, sleeping bags and cots,” Riccardelli told MorristownGreen.com. “They were told they might not get them back. The people of Gander didn’t care, because there were people in need.”
She told the outlet that they ended up sleeping on the floor of a classroom at the College of the North Atlantic.
“But this was more than a place to sleep,” Riccardelli said. “We were able to connect with loved ones back home, and we were even driven to Walmart for fresh underwear. We ate better than we ate in Paris.”
The impact of that day still lives with her.
“Every September, to honor our friends in Canada who helped us during our time of need, we fly this Canadian American flag in front of our home,” Riccardelli shared.
Gander unites to help passengers
Riccardelli’s encouraging story was one of thousands to come out of the Newfoundland fishing village. The entire community of Gander, which at that time was about 8,000 people, worked together to care for the stranded passengers.
According to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum:
“Area pharmacies filled prescriptions without cost, banks of free public telephones were installed so visitors could call home, and donations of toiletries, clothing, and food flowed in. Much of the food was stored at the Gander Community Centre’s ice rink, turning it into ‘the largest walk-in freezer in the country,’ according to Gander’s mayor, Claude Elliott.”
The FAA reopened the American airspace on September 13, 2001. Planes began to leave, but the passengers did not forget about Gander.
They created a scholarship fund for students of Gander, which raised more than $1 million since the initial donation of $15,000. The town of Gander created a park to remember 9/11, where a piece of steel from the Twin Towers can be visited in honor of victims, first responders and the caring people of Gander who came together during a great time of need.
