Kevin Tuerff

Kevin Tuerff was on a transatlantic flight from Paris back to the United States through New York when he was diverted to Gander on Sept. 11, 2001. He says he has been inspired by the kindness the 10,000 people who live there. He is the co-founder of EnviroMedia Social Marketing and has started Pay-It-Forward-9/11, encouraging 10,000 others to commit random acts of kindness.

On his time in Gander:

"Because of what happened to me [in Gander] on this terrible day, I had witnessed really an amazing part of humanity and positive things happening that day."

Upon his return home:

"Every year I retell my story about Gander to my staff of 60 people and we go out into the communities of Austin, Texas and Portland, Oregon and we take the day off and send out our staff in teams of two and I give them a hundred dollar bill each to go out and do random acts of kindness to strangers."

Paying it forward:

Tuerff plans to return to Gander for the 10th anniversary.

"From there, we're launching a non-profit promotion, if you will, with the internation Pay it Forward foundation and trying to get opver that weekend - 0f Sept. 8, 9, 10 11, 10,000 random acts of kindness. And when people so that we're gouing to offer an incentive to the charity and we will provide $1 for every random act of kindness that's documented on Twitter."

Listen to Kevin Tuerff speaking to the CBC's Chris O'Neill-Yates;

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