19 inspirational reactions to the Boston Marathon attack

Sometimes, humanity can be awesome. Here are 19 examples:

1. Immediately after the explosions, many onlookers rushed to assist the wounded. Gawker told the story of one, Carlos Arredondo. He was attending the marathon to honor one of his sons, who was killed in Iraq — his other son committed suicide four years later.

2. NBC reported on Twitter that runners were crossing the finish line and continuing to run, heading to Massachusetts General Hospital to donate blood.

The Red Cross received an influx of blood donations from Bostonians, eventually tweeting:

3. With phone networks down across downtown Boston, both Google and the Red Cross set up landing pages where those concerned about the well-being of Marathon runners, volunteers and spectators could check on their status.

4. As central Boston began to shut down, stranded marathoners looked for somewhere to go. One restaurant, El Pelón Taqueria, offered a safe space:

5. A Google document through which Bostonians could provide a place to stay overnight for those stuck in the city quickly filled up with offers.

6. Two South Korean tourists, whose friend was hospitalized after getting hit by flying shrapnel, added their situation to the Google document — and Reddit. They quickly got dozens of offers to help and ended up finding Korean-speaking people to stay with.

7. While some marathoners needed overnight lodging, others wanted to get out of Boston as quickly as possible. Redditors offered frequent-flyer miles and vouchers to help purchase plane tickets home.

8. And, as the commotion died down, one couple who had finished the marathon decided not to let the attack ruin their big day:

9. Through social media, Bostonians came together to address the aftermath of the explosions. When word broke out that the Westboro Baptist Church planned to picket the funerals of those who died during the Marathon, a Facebook event sprang up proposing a human wall to block the WBC’s protest. Nearly 1,500 people have already signed up to participate. 

10. And almost 14,000 people have signed up for a walk this Friday, organized by Boston College students, to complete the last five miles of the Marathon that many runners never reached.

11. On Twitter, New England Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola announced his dedication to donating to Boston’s recovery from the bombing.

13. On their websites, Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art and Museum of Fine Arts announced they would be offering free admission on Tuesday. As ugly images flooded the news, Bostonian children — and adults — could focus on beauty.

12. As rumors about the explosions flooded the Internet, users took preemptive measures in keeping people from jumping to conclusions:

14. Displays of love for Boston and all those participating in attending the Marathon began to crop up. Here, on Boylston Street, near where the explosions occurred:

15. And across the city, on MIT’s campus:

16. While tributes poured in from across the country, notable was this one from Brooklyn, which includes the normally much-reviled Boston Red Sox’s logo.

17. Even the Yankees, in a move that goes against decades of Boston-New York rivalry, decided to play the Red Sox’s signature song at today’s game:

18. And even further from Boston, astronaut Chris Hadfield tweeted an aerial photo of Boston from the International Space Station:

19. And finally, in a lovely, photographic gesture of solidarity, Afghans expressed their sympathy for the victims of the Boston Marathon attacks:

All of the, "To Boston, From Kabul, With Love" photos can be found here.