CNN Hero of the Year 2009 is Efren Peñaflorida

pinoyambisyoso.com | Nov 22, 2009 | Comments 4

Pushcart educator from the Philippines Efren Peñaflorida was named as the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year. The award was given last Saturday night in Hollywood. The Filipino hero was present in the awarding ceremony to receive the prestigious award. He will receive $100,000 to continue his work with the Dynamic Teen Company in the Philippines.

For more than seven weeks of continuous voting, Efren lead the race and finally bagged the CNN of the Year. In his speech, he said

“Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry. Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need. So to each and every person inside in this theater and for those who are watching at home, the hero in you is waiting to be unleashed. Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve. As I always tell to my co-volunteers … you are the change that you dream as I am the change that I dream and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be.”

Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2009 features performances by Grammy Award-winning artist Carrie Underwood, R&B crooner Maxwell and British pop sensation Leona Lewis. Presenters included Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Neil Patrick Harris, Pierce Brosnan, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Randy Jackson, Greg Kinnear, George Lopez and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

The gala event, taped before an audience of 3,000 at the Kodak Theatre, premieres on Thanksgiving, November 26, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the global networks of CNN.

Source : CNN