How were the Top 10 CNN Heroes selected?

Program Note: CNN Heroes received nearly 9,000 submissions from 100 countries. A Blue Ribbon Panel selected the Top 10 CNN Heroes for the year, and over 1 million of you voted for your CNN HERO OF THE YEAR

WATCH Change the World, You Vote, CNN Heroes
Tonight 11 p.m. ET


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Kelly Flynn
CNN Heroes Senior Executive Producer

It all began with you. Starting on January 1, we invited viewer nominations for 2009 CNN Heroes to be submitted through our website, at CNN.com/Heroes. By the close of nominations on August 1, we had received more than 9,000 of them from 100 countries, more than twice the number of nominations received in 2008! A testament to how much stories like these matter to you.

Our CNN Heroes staff read each and every nomination, selecting 28 individuals as 2009 CNN Heroes. Their stories aired weekly on CNN, HLN, CNN International, CNN en Español and CNN.com, between February and September.

A panel of CNN judges further reviewed this year’s CNN Heroes, evaluating their accomplishment, impact, and personal motivation for service to others. Twenty individuals were advanced to an independent Blue Ribbon Panel, which was asked to select the ten individuals we honor as the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2009. Each of these ten will receive $25,000 in recognition of their work.

Now, again, it’s your turn, as we invite CNN viewers to help select the CNN Hero of the Year. An online poll, now underway, continues at CNN.com/Heroes through November 19, 2009 (6 a.m. ET), and there is no limit to the number of times you may vote. We also encourage you to share your vote with your friends, and spread the word about your favorite Hero. The Top 10 CNN Hero who receives the most votes will be revealed Thanksgiving night, during “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute” and will receive an additional $100,000.

It should be noted emphatically here that we value each and every one of our 2009 CNN Heroes, and plan to continue telling their stories – and provide a way for YOU to get involved with their organizations – all the way through December, 2010, at CNN.com/Heroes.

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