On the tragic morning of September 11, 2001, the United States shut down its airspace for the first time in history and 38 commercial aircraft were forced to land in the small Canadian town of Gander, Newfoundland. 7,000 passengers without luggage, lodging, or food were stranded for days, nearly doubling the small town's population of 9,000. During this time the people of Gander swung into action and fully embodied the human capacity for kindness, selflessness and generosity.