"For the better part of a week, nearly every man, woman, and child in Gander and the surrounding smaller towns stopped what they were doing so they could help. They placed their lives on hold for a group of strangers and asked for nothing in return. They affirmed the basic goodness of man at a time when it was easy to doubt such humanity still existed." When thirty-eight jetliners bound for the United States were forced to land in Gander, Newfoundland, on September 11, 2001, due to the closing of United States airspace, the citizens of this small community were called upon to come to the aid of more than six thousand displaced travelers. Roxanne and Clarke Loper were excited to be on their way home from a lengthy and exhausting trip to Kazakhstan, where they had adopted a daughter, when their plane suddenly changed course and they found themselves in Newfoundland. Hannah and Dennis O'Rourke, who had been on vacation in Ireland, were forced to receive updates by telephone on the search for their son Kevin, who was among the firefighters missing at the World Trade Center. George Vitale, a New York state trooper and head of the governor's security detail in New York City who was returning from a trip to Dublin, struggled to locate his sister Patty, who worked in the Twin Towers. A family of Russian immigrants, on their way to the Seattle area to begin a new life, dealt with the uncertainty of conditions in their future home. The people of Gander were asked to aid and care for these distraught travelers, as well as for thousands more, and their response was truly extraordinary. Oz Fudge, the town constable, searched all over Gander for a flight-crew member so that he could give her a hug as a favor to her sister, a fellow law enforcement officer who managed to reach him by phone. Eithne Smith, an elementary-school teacher, helped the passengers staying at her school put together letters to family members all over the world, which she then faxed. Bonnie Harris, Vi Tucker, and Linda Humby, members of a local animal protection agency, crawled into the jets' cargo holds to feed and care for all of the animals on the flights. Hundreds of people put their names on a list to take passengers into their homes and give them a chance to get cleaned up and relax. The Day the World Came to Town is a positively heartwarming account of the citizens of Gander and its surrounding communities and the unexpected guests who were welcomed with exemplary kindness.

"在一个星期的时间里，甘德市和周边小城镇的几乎所有男人、女人和孩子都停下了他们正在做的事情，以便他们能够提供帮助。他们为一群陌生人搁置了自己的生活，不求回报。在人们很容易怀疑这种人性是否还存在的时候，他们肯定了人的基本善良。" 2001年9月11日，由于美国领空关闭，38架飞往美国的喷气式客机被迫降落在纽芬兰省甘德市，这个小社区的公民被要求向六千多名流离失所的旅客提供援助。罗克珊和克拉克-洛珀在结束了漫长而疲惫的哈萨克斯坦之行后，正兴奋地准备回家，他们在那里收养了一个女儿，但他们的飞机突然改变了航向，他们发现自己在纽芬兰。在爱尔兰度假的汉娜和丹尼斯-奥罗克夫妇被迫通过电话接收关于寻找他们儿子凯文的最新情况，凯文是在世贸中心失踪的消防员之一。从都柏林旅行归来的纽约州警察和纽约市州长安全小组组长乔治-维泰尔（George Vitale）努力寻找他在双子塔工作的妹妹帕蒂（Patty）的下落。一个俄罗斯移民家庭在前往西雅图地区开始新生活的途中，处理了他们未来家园的不确定状况。甘德镇的人们被要求援助和照顾这些心烦意乱的旅行者，以及成千上万的人，而他们的反应确实很不寻常。镇上的警察Oz Fudge在整个甘德市寻找一名飞行人员，以便他能给她一个拥抱，作为对她姐姐的恩惠，她姐姐是一名执法官员，她设法通过电话联系到他。Eithne Smith是一名小学教师，她帮助住在她学校的乘客给世界各地的家人写信，然后将这些信传真出去。邦妮-哈里斯（Bonnie Harris）、维-塔克（Vi Tucker）和琳达-哈姆比（Linda Humby）是当地一家动物保护机构的成员，他们爬进飞机的货舱，喂养和照顾航班上的所有动物。数以百计的人把他们的名字写在名单上，把乘客带到他们的家里，让他们有机会得到清理和放松。世界来到镇上的那一天》是一部积极感人的记录，讲述了甘德市及其周边社区的市民和以模范的善意欢迎的意外客人。