A seven year old mystery

Posted by Kate A. in Editors.

I can’t tell you how long I’ve been reading TomatoNation.com because I feel like I’ve been reading it since I can remember reading things online. But let’s say at least ten years. Long enough that on September 11, 2001, one of the first people I thought about was Sarah Bunting. Not because I’d ever met her or talked to her, but because Monday was new essay day on Tomato Nation and it was something I looked forward to every week. Because Sarah lives and works in New York City. Because I was worried, just like everyone else.

Her story of that day is now inextricably linked to my memories of it. Not just because I think Sars is a cool person and I enjoy her honest writing. Not just because of my concern for her and everyone else in the city.

That day, amidst all the disaster and debris, she bumped into a guy called Don. September 11th is Don’s birthday. Don was her ‘disaster buddy’. Don was there when she needed him.  And since then, no one has been able to find him.

Before this year, I felt like I couldn’t do much to help the search, if only so the girl can buy him a beer and say thank you. You would think in such a connected world that he would have popped up by now. Every year, she posts about him, and every year, all her readers wish we could somehow find him.

This year, I’ve got a website for the first time. A website that gets significant traffic from New Jersey. So I’m putting it out there. It can’t hurt. Take a minute and read her story. Maybe one of you can end the search.

Operation Find Don

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