Oregon Loves New York: A Story of American Unity After 9/11

Three weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when the world was afraid to get on an airplane, much less a plane to New York City, one in every 3,000 Oregonians — 1,000 in all — took 62 flights in an organized effort to boost the tanking New York economy. Led by Portland Mayor Vera Katz, the “Flight for Freedom” included individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, political persuasions, and cultures, unified in supporting their fellow Americans.

In observance of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Sally Bourrie will share a recorded talk on her new book, Oregon Loves New York, which documents this historic effort. Featuring interviews with more than seventy-five participants, stories of nearly 300 Freedom Fliers, and 200 photos from the trip, Oregon Loves New York shares this little-known story of Americans at their best, showing up for their fellow Americans in a time of tragedy.

Sally Ruth Bourrie has worked as a writer for more than thirty years, pitching and selling more than 2,000 features, articles, and web content for publications including The Boston Globe, the Chicago Tribune, The Oregonian, and The Denver Post. Bourrie previously served as senior editor for the permanent collections at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where she oversaw the first new guidebook to the collection in more than twenty years. Bourrie also created the first strategic plan for its award-winning digital catalogues, Online Editions, supporting the program in becoming fully sustainable within the institution.