STORY

The Story of The Fellowship of The Red Bandanna

As stories began to emerge from the survivors of the South Tower of the World Trade Center, several mentioned a mysterious young man who stepped out of the smoke and horror to lead them to safety. They did not know who this man was who saved their lives, but this they did remember: Wrapped around his mouth and nose was a red bandanna.

For 76 minutes, the man in the red bandanna barked orders, and led people to safety down stairwells. He said, “I found the stairs, follow me and only help who you can.” He carried one woman down fifteen flights of stairs—on his back, while leading others to safety, urged them to keep going down, then headed back up never to be seen again.

Upstairs, a badly injured woman was sitting on a radiator waiting for help when the man with the red bandanna over his face came running across the room and said, “Follow me. I know the way out. I will lead you to safety.” Then he led several survivors to a stairwell that took them to safety.

Six months later, on March 19, 2002, the body of the man with the red bandanna was found intact alongside firefighters in a makeshift command center in the South Tower lobby buried under 110 stories of rubble.

Slowly the story began to come out. Welles Crowther graduated from Boston College where he played Lacrosse, always carrying his trademark red bandanna. In high school Welles was the kid who would feed the puck to the hockey team’s lowest-scoring player, hoping to give his teammate his first goal. At 16 he became a junior volunteer firefighter, following in his dad’s footsteps. After college he joined Sandler O’Neil and Partners and worked on the 104th floor of the South Tower. He always carried change to give to street people. His dream was to become a firefighter or public servant. On Sept. 11, at the age of 24, Welles Crowther became both, and also a hero -- the "man in the red bandanna." 

“Follow me. I know the way out. I will lead you to safety.”

• Welles was willing: willing to serve and to make a sacrifice for the good of others.
• Both willing and able, Welles did not miss his moment. He went up while everyone else was coming down.

We are a fellowship of men willing to go up while others are coming down—to rescue men and lead them to the safety of the cross of Christ. The Christian Victory Fellowship of the Red Bandanna encourages men to be willing to train, serve, and make a sacrifice to engage every man and woman in Canada with a credible offer of Christ and the resources to grow.

You are someone who has been recognized as willing to go up while others are coming down. Welcome to the Christian Victory Fellowship of The Red Bandanna.

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• FRB Main Story - PDF