Where were you when planes hit the twin towers on 9/11? I bet you know exactly where you were standing, who was with you at the time, and what was the first thing you did afterwards. Did you run to a television, call your family, cry? Shortly thereafter, the American public began to learn of the sea of humanity that arises amongst the ashes. Stories of real people giving of their time to feed the rescuers, philanthropists funding the families, etc.
This past Tuesday, August 4Th, an insane man (unmentioned by name on purpose) entered the aerobics studio of a suburban Pittsburgh fitness center, and decided to seek revenge for his sad existence, by shooting and killing innocent woman. Moments after the last bullet rang out, the news began to spread, so that within minutes, practically every person in the city was aware of this tragedy.
We are starting to hear about the sea of humanity that is born out of this tragedy. I for one would much rather read about these loving and caring people who rise up to give, than about the miserable life of the killer who empowered himself to take away beautiful souls. Here is one that comes directly from my company, American Expediting, that we need to publish.
As one of the largest couriers in Pittsburgh, with a core part of our business serving the local blood banks, we know our way around an emergency. When the news hit on Tuesday night, three individual drivers from our company volunteered to transport blood to the local hospital receiving the injured victims. Knowing that the hospital probably didn't inventory the needed supply of any one blood type, and that time was critical, they jumped into their cars without hesitation. Mark Roberts, Mark Kotarides, and Richard Bailey were not working at the time, but knew that they could possibly make a difference. While driving, they called into dispatch, and asked where to go to volunteer their services.
I for one am proud of these gentleman. Of their instinct to give to others, and their hearts of gold. We will never know if they were part of saving lives, but we do know that they put the concern for others in front of their own, and that these are the type of people we should be reading about. If it wouldn't be too much to ask, next time you see them making a delivery, shake their hand, and thank them for showing their Humanity.
Nice post. This was a very sad day in Pittsburgh, but you are correct that many positive things surfaced. The sense of tragedy did pulled the community together. I was proud to read about about your team members that sprung into action. These are true heroes!
ReplyDeleteJoe Manich
Pittsburgh PA