Kevin Tuerff's experience as a 9/11 stranded airline passenger in Canada inspired him to develop Pay it Forward 9/11 in 2002, and it has been growing each year. Today he serves as founder and volunteer president of Pay it Forward 9/11, Inc.

His 9/11 story is one of the true stories inspiring the Tony-Award winning Broadway musical Come From Away. The character 'Kevin T' is referred to as the compassionate "gay lumberjack" in the show and this Pay it Forward 9/11 effort is mentioned in the script of the musical.

He is a featured cast member in three related documentaries (HBO Canada, CBC and Fox). In 2018, House of Anansi Press published his memoir (paperback, ebook and audiobook), Channel of Peace: Stranded in Gander on 9/11. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the books is donated to nonprofit organizations helping refugees.

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In 2017, The Ford's Theatre Society in Washington, DC honored Kevin for his service leading Pay it Forward 9/11.

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Kevin currently works for the American Thoracic Society and is TEDx speaker and certified as a virtual presenter by eSpeakers.