Kelly Flynn
CNN Heroes Sr. Executive Producer

It all began with you. Starting last November 26th, at the conclusion of last year’s “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute,” we invited viewer nominations for 2010 CNN Heroes to be submitted through our website, at CNNHeroes.com. By the close of nominations on August 1, we had received more than 10,000 of them from 100 countries, a new record for the CNN Heroes campaign. This is a testament to how much stories like these matter to you.

Our CNN Heroes staff read each and every nomination, selecting more than two dozen individuals as 2010 CNN Heroes. Their stories aired weekly on CNN, HLN, CNN International, CNN en Español and CNN.com, between January and September.

A group 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 2010. 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 CNNHeroes.com through November 18, 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 on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media.. The Top 10 CNN Hero who receives the most votes will be named “CNN Hero of the Year” 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 2010 CNN Heroes, and we plan to continue telling their stories – and provide a way for YOU to get involved with their organizations – all the way through December, 2011, at CNNHeroes.com.

For additional details, please see our Voting Disclosures and Legal Disclosures.