Shirley Brooks Jones, a former assistant in the office of the vice president of agricultural administration and dean of the college of The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences  later worked as a fundraiser for the university.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Shirley Brooks-Jones was on her way home from Europe when she, her fellow passengers on Delta Flight 15, and passengers on 38 other wide-bodies planes, found themselves diverted to the tiny airport of Gander in Newfoundland.

After spending 28 hours on the plane, she and the other passengers were sent to Lewisporte, a tiny fishing village, where generous townspeople housed and fed the stranded passengers for three days. The people of Newfoundland would not accept money from the passengers, but wanting to thank them, Brooks-Jones passed around a notebook on the flight home asking passengers to contribute to a scholarship fund for the children of Gander.

They had $15,000 when they landed and the fund has since grown to about $2 million. So far, 228 graduates from Lewisporte Collegiate High School have received scholarships, which Brooks Jones awards in person when possible.

This story, and other heartwarming stories of the generosity of the people of Newfoundland, are featured in a new Broadway Musical “Come From Away.” Earlier, the play ran at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Brooks Jones is a Lifetime Member of the Columbus Metropolitan Club and resides in Dublin.