Editor’s note: This post was originally published on September 5th, 2011, and in some small way, we hope it helps the lacrosse community and the wider world to keep this amazing story in our collective minds. We will republish “The Man In The Red Bandana” every September 11th to serve as a reminder that in tragedy, there can also be triumph, unquestionable character, and real life heroism.
If you’d like to get involved with positive projects being done now in Welles’ name, please consider donating to the Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust.
——–
If you don’t watch Outside The Lines on ESPN, you may have missed a special segment they recently aired titled “The Man In The Red Bandana“. If you did happen to miss it and you’re a lacrosse fan, or just a fan of humanity rising to unthinkable challenges, the video below is something you need to see.
The memories will never fade, and the scars that 9-11 left on so many may never truly heal, but stories like this remind us all that there is a lot of good in the world still, and that this goodwill of men can pop up when things look darkest. It can exist in the people right next to you, even if you’ve never seen it. All it takes is the right person, in the right place, at the wrong time.
Welles Crowther was a former BC lacrosse player from Nyack, NY, working in the World Trade Center on September 11th. Welles was put in an extraordinary situation, and reacted with the heroism we all hope we possess somewhere inside. His example gives us all a model to live by, and something to shoot for. It’s an amazing and true story; one I will never forget.
Remember Welles’s story. Pray and work so that another 9/11 will never occur again. And believe, above all else, that you would react in a similar fashion if it did. We will never forget Welles Crowther, or how he chose to spend his last hour on Earth.