Walking the red carpet at this year's CNN Hero awards tribute show on Thanksgiving night, will be movie stars like Halle Berry, Grammy winners like John Legend, and the famed Chilean miners as special guests. But the real stars of the night will be the top ten CNN citizen heros of 2010, one of whom will win the $100,000 cash prize for exemplary work on behalf of others.
This afternoon in the East Room of the White House, President Obama presented the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry to Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta, U.S. Army -- the first living servicemember from the Iraq or Afghanistan wars to receive it, the highest award for military bravery. Sergeant Giunta, repeatedly and without hesitation, you charged forward through extreme enemy fire, embodying the warrior ethos that says, "I will never leave a fallen comrade." Your actions disrupted a devastating ambush before it could claim more lives. Your courage prevented the capture of an American soldier and brought that soldier back to his family.
A woman whose group has rescued more than 12,000 women and girls from sex slavery has been named the 2010 CNN Hero of the Year. She won the majority of two million votes cast, and CNN's Anderson Cooper revealed that result at the conclusion of the fourth annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute.
Rick Snyder is something unusual: a moderate Republican who is winning his race without the slash-and-burn tactics dominating political races elsewhere. He doesn't back down from his commitment to forging a political common ground, avoids divisive topics and launches no offensives against the Democratic Party or its office-holders.
A Philadelphia man is leading the charge to reclaim an 86-acre city park that had become overgrown with weeds and trash while becoming a haven for crime. His love for the park stems from family outings as a child and led to a working army of volunteers.
Victor Perez launched an improbable car chase that resulted in the recovery of an 8-year-old girl abducted in Fresno, Calif. 'This guy is a true action hero,' said California's governor.
Sisters in Knoxville, Tenn. began a service more than a quarter century ago catering to people with the five H's, helping local residents who are homeless, hungry, helpless, hopeless or homebound.
Most Mexicans cross the border to find work and send money home to impoverished families, but Jesus Hernandez's reason was different: He was crossing the border so others wouldn't have to. His mission was to help impoverished Mexican farmers by starting a coffee co-op.
Here are ten of the most innovative service programs, particularly noteworthy because their creators refused to be daunted by the breadth of the challenge, the absence of any model to guide them, or even a lack of expertise. The efforts of these everyday Americans are having an impact and millions are benefiting in the process.
Luck Mervil, a Haitian-born Canadian singer, has taken leave from a successful musical career to help the earthquake-displaced people in his homeland by spearheading the building of a village of homes that will withstand any natural disaster by using retired shipping containers.
The winner of Mitchum's Hardest Working Man in America contest was awarded $100,000 last month for his labor of love: hauling tires, trash -- and even rusty cars -- out of the nation's rivers on behalf of his non-profit conservation foundation.
22-year-old Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta who was on patrol with his unit in Afghanistan, ran straight into the teeth of a Taliban attack to aid three wounded soldiers, one by one, who had been separated from the others in the ambush. On Friday, the White House announced that President Obama decided to award Giunta the Medal of Honor.
After years of trying to dodge the fame Olympic success brought her, an Aboriginal athlete who carried the torch that opened the Sydney Games in 2000, and won the 400-meter gold to fulfill her nation's expectations, decided to use her celebrity to help educate the Aboriginal children from northeastern Australia, where her mother is from.
On September 1st, New York City based radio personality, Trey Morgan embarked on a journey designed to shock him into a more philanthropic way of life. He hopes his non-profit quest to volunteer for 30 charities in 30 days finally ends the quandary which has kept him from volunteering in the past, namely, among so many great charities, which group to choose.
A Scotsman providing free daily meals to 400,000 children, a former child soldier clearing land mines in Cambodia and a Texas builder giving injured vets mortgage-free homes are among the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2010. The top 10 -- remarkable individuals chosen for their sacrifices and accomplishments -- will now compete for public votes online and be honored in a televised gala with a grand prize of $100,000.
At a recent government inquest into what went wrong when a train car derailed in London and killed seven people on May 10, there was also discussion of what went right. The judge at the hearing made a point of highlighting the acts of kindness during the inquest, offering an official public 'Thank You.'
Free dental care drew thousands last week to the 11th annual open-air health clinic organized by Remote Area Medical, which specializes in helping impoverished communities. 2,643 teeth were extracted from 2,347 patients who slept overnight in their cars to ensure they would receive the care they normally cannot afford. Sad stories abound in this rural […]
Airline pilot Kathy Broussard, who was already providing free flights for patients, started a group she called Houston Ground Angels, that organizes volunteers to drive patients to and from Houston's airports and treatment centers for free.
Paying tribute to those dads who serve as an inspiration, but don't necessarily get recognition, Sears has awarded Charles Muller of Rensselaer, N.Y. $30,000 worth of labor and materials to advance his work in his Albany community. 125,000 votes in an online contest judged him to be the most worthy grand prize winner out of […]
This week, President Barack Obama awarded the 2010 Citizens Medal to 13 outstanding Americans who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens. The Citizens Medal is the second highest civilian honor in our nation. For over 40 years, the Presidential Citizens Medal has recognized America's most respected heroes and public figure.