September 11, 2001 will forever be remembered as a tragic day. However, in the midst of so much horror and loss, remarkable displays of human connection and support shined through.

All flights en route to the United States that day were diverted. One such flight, Delta Airlines Flight 15, heading from Germany to Atlanta, landed in Gander, Newfoundland. Hundreds of affected travelers were bused to Lewisporte, a tiny bayside town, where residents greeted them with open arms.

In 2002, inspired by the acts of kindness she witnessed, and with the assistance of  fellow travelers and others, Shirley Brooks-Jones established the Lewisporte Area Flight 15 Scholarship Fund at The Columbus Foundation in appreciation for the hospitality shown to her and thousands of other stranded passengers. The fund pays grateful dividends in the form of hundreds of scholarships to those from the village and surrounding area.

This remarkable story of kindness and human connection has been written about and covered on television all around the world and even spawned a very popular Broadway play, Come From Away.