As we honor the memory of the thousands of innocents and rescuers who lost their lives on 9/11, let us remember, too, the delivery workers who perished and those that provided uplifting relief to those who toiled afterwards at the crash sites.  They join a long line of delivery heroes that continues to this day.

The image above (by Maureen Raisch) shows an abandoned Canyon River ‘FS Elite’ bike locked to a street sign a block away from the World Trade Center in NYC on 9/11 2001.  It soon became an impromptu shrine to the delivery persons presumed to have been killed at the World Trade Center.  Flowers, coins, notes, and religious items were left at the memorial in the months that followed.  During that time, untold numbers of delivery people brought provisions to ground zero, exposing themselves to the same noxious gasses that caused so many to sicken in the months and years that followed.

Returning to the present, just 10 days ago a delivery driver in Lake City, Florida saved a home and three puppies when she noticed smoke coming out of the house and called 911.  In July near Soap Lake, Washington, a delivery driver saved the life of a girl who had nearly drowned in a swimming pool by administering emergency CPR.  Another quick-thinking delivery driver in Georgia spotted smoke coming from a garage in January, called 911, and was credited for saving the lives of four adults, three children, and several pets.  The list of delivery heroes keeps expanding.

Please share your stories about delivery heroes with us at [email protected].

We at the Association for Delivery Drivers (A4DD.org) extend our deepest sympathies to all who lost loved ones due to the horrific events 21 years ago.  And we are filled with admiration for the brave delivery professionals who, along with our first responders and military, put themselves in harm’s way to help others every day.