Anderson Cooper speaks with a 2007 CNN HERO, Peter Kithene, at last year’s tribute.
This morning on CNN, Anderson Cooper announced the 10 finalists in this year’s CNN Heroes event. They include a Louisiana woman whose non-profit organization has helped rebuild 120 homes damaged or destroyed by hurricane Katrina; a Senegalese woman whose “10,000 Girls” program is helping young women succeed in school and learn business skills; and a man who, free of charge, has brought prosthetic care to more than 400 people in southeastern Mexico.
This year, CNN Heroes will tape in front of a studio audience at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood and air on Thanksgiving night.
Nearly 4,000 nominations were submitted this year. Each of the top 10 finalists gets $25,000, and the CNN Hero of the year, voted on by the public, gets an additional $100,000.