CNN's Heroes for 2009

all images courtesy of CNNIn a star-studded award ceremony held on Saturday, November 21st at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre, Efren Penaflorida of the Philippines was named the 2009 CNN HERO OF THE YEAR, after nearly three million votes were cast at CNN.com/Heroes. Actress Eva Mendes introduced Penaflorida (pronounced Pen-ya-flow-REE-duh) as one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes; host Anderson Cooper announced Penaflorida as the CNN HERO OF THE YEAR at the end of the evening, after a powerful performance by Grammy Award-winning recording artist Carrie Underwood.
Penaflorida was voted CNN HERO OF THE YEAR from among the Top 10 CNN HEROES, who were all honored at Saturday’s event. Celebrity presenters included Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Neil Patrick Harris, Pierce Brosnan, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Randy Jackson. Underwood, Leona Lewis, and Maxwell each performed.CNN HEROES: AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE, hosted by Cooper, aired globally on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Espanol on Thanksgiving, November 26, at 9 pm. The CNN HEROES gala is the only awards show of its kind – featuring celebrities honoring everyday people who have made an extraordinary difference in their communities and beyond.Ten years ago, Efren Penaflorida faced a choice so many impoverished teens in the Philippines confront: life in a gang. When a gang member challenged him to a fight, Penaflorida walked away and embraced his education, promising to create a positive alternative for other children to build a better life. Through his organization, Dynamic Teen Company, Penaflorida created a pushcart classroom to bring education to the most forgotten children in the country. The gangs start recruiting early and so does Penaflorida. Every Saturday, he pushes the cart to different sites across the city: the cemetery, the municipal trash dump, and the deplorable housing conditions. He brings reading, writing, and arithmetic to the children. He gives them a place to sit and learn in peace. He teaches them basic hygiene – washing their faces and brushing their teeth.
Since 1997, he has taught more than 1,700 students with nearly 12,000 members in his organization, showing the youngsters that they, too, have a choice. They can reject the gangs, embrace their education and “be the change that they dream.” Peñaflorida hopes to create an international movement for pushcart classrooms in underdeveloped parts of the world.The CNN HEROES initiative, which began in 2007, garnered a record number of submissions this year (over 9,000) as well as a record number of online votes (nearly 3 million). The Top 10 CNN Heroes were selected by an esteemed Blue Ribbon Panel, which included Colin Powell, Whoopi Goldberg, Ted Turner, Shakira, Rosanna Rosado, Mariane Pearl, Malaak Compton-Rock, and Sir Elton John, among other humanitarians.
Here are two candid shots of this year's nominees:

Here are a few images of CNN's 2009 Heroes with their celebrity presenters:

And some candid shots of the evening:

Congratulations to Efren Penaflorida and to the CNN Heroes and to all who strive to make a difference.

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

The Line Up for CNN Heroes on Thanksgiving Night

CNN today announced performers and presenters who are slated to appear at the third annual “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute,” which honors everyday citizens who are making a difference in their communities and beyond. Hosted by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, the program will air globally on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 26, at 9pm ET on CNN/U.S., CNN International and CNN en Español.
Celebrities scheduled to present include: Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Neil Patrick Harris, Pierce Brosnan, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Randy Jackson and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Carrie Underwood and Leona Lewis will each perform at the gala. Additional appearances will be announced in days to come.
The Top 10 CNN Heroes, as selected by the Blue Ribbon Panel, were unveiled by Anderson Cooper on CNN last month. The public will select the “CNN Hero of the Year” via voting at CNN.com/Heroes, which concludes on November 19, at 6am ET. During the November 26 broadcast, the Top Ten Heroes will each be awarded $25,000, and CNN will reveal the CNN Hero of the Year, who will receive an additional $100,000.
This Year’s Blue Ribbon Panel judges included: Sir Elton John, Colin Powell, Mariane Pearl, Shakira, Wallis Annenberg, Tavis Smiley, Ted Turner, Tory Burch, Kirk Cameron, Whoopi Goldberg, Malaak Compton-Rock, Rossana Rosado, and Masi Oka. In its third year, the CNN HEROES initiative garnered a record number of nominations - over 9,000 - and a record number of online votes for CNN Hero of the Year, surpassing two million votes.
Joel Gallen, who has helmed ambitious telethon events supporting victims of both the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina, returns as executive producer for the event. Kelly Flynn is senior executive producer for the CNN Heroes initiative. To read more follow the link.




All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.