Lewisporte Area Flight 15 Scholarship Fund
LEWISPORTE AREA FLIGHT 15 SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Half of the proceeds will go to the Lewisporte Area Flight 15 Scholarship Fund, administered through The Columbus Foundation. It is a "pay it forward" scholarship fund that was established by passengers and crew of Delta Flight 15, one of the international flights that was diverted to Gander, Newfoundland on 9/11. The tiny town of Lewisporte and the 14 outport villages surrounding it housed and cared for nearly 1000 folks for four days, simply because it was the right thing to do. In appreciation, the Scholarship Fund was established and has been used to fund college scholarships for almost 300 students (to date!) from the tiny Lewisporte high school.
IT’S JUST THE WAY WE ARE
By Glen Fudge
Lewisporte Collegiate, Lewisporte, Newfoundland, 2001
(This excerpt is from a song written by Glen Fudge, a teacher at Lewisporte Collegiate, in the weeks after 9/11. It celebrates the best of what happened in the worst of times.)
Tuesday morning, September 11, two thousand one,
Sure looks like Armageddon has finally begun.
We sit transfixed by all the horror and the grief,
Staring at the television in shock and disbelief.
In Gander the world’s aeroplanes lie waiting on the ground.
Over 700 passengers arrive in my small town.
Churches, schools, and service clubs are suddenly transformed
Into shelters for the stranded souls from all around the world.
Everyone just opened up their doors and opened up their hearts.
A miracle began.
The visitors were so amazed.
They just couldn’t believe how well they were received.
CHORUS
It’s just the way we are around here.
Some might find it hard to understand.
You’re down and out and all alone,
We will lend a hand, anything we can.
It doesn’t matter who you are.
Rich or poor, from near or from afar.
Oh, just come on in. Now you’ve got a friend.
It’s just the way were are.
Wednesday afternoon, got a call from my old friend.
He said, “”Come on down to the Blue Fin Lounge and play your songs again.”
That night we drank our toasts to all those folks from far away –
From Italy and Ireland and all across the U.S.A.
My new friend from Germany sang, “The House of the Rising Sun.”
The young song writer from the Ukraine played two of his new songs,
And though I didn’t understand a word he sang, that was fine.
There was something in the air that night. It was a magical time.
CHORUS
Twin Towers tumble to the ground and all the world’s turned upside down,
But there’s no terrorist can ever get the best of us ‘cause right here in my
Small town, people came from miles around to lend a hand,
The comfort shared, stand up and show they cared.
