( CNN ) -- War widows , `` motel kids '' and the working poor are among the many people who have been helped by this year 's top 10 CNN Heroes . The top 10 -- remarkable everyday people changing the world -- were revealed Thursday by CNN 's Anderson Cooper . All were nominated by CNN viewers inspired by their hard work and commitment . Each of the top 10 will receive a $ 50,000 grant and be honored at `` CNN Heroes : An All-Star Tribute , '' a globally broadcast event that airs December 11 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT . One of the top 10 will be voted CNN Hero of the Year by the public and receive an additional $ 250,000 . The live tribute show , hosted by Cooper at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles , will culminate in the announcement of the CNN Hero of the Year . Through December 7 , people can vote for their favorite Hero at CNNHeroes.com . They can also vote from mobile devices . This is the fifth year CNN has conducted its annual search for CNN Heroes . In those five years , the campaign has profiled more than 160 people on CNN and CNN.com . And there have been roughly 40,000 nominations received from more than 100 countries . Here are the top 10 Heroes of 2011 , in alphabetical order : . Eddie Canales Eddie Canales ' son was paralyzed during a high school football game in 2001 . Today , Canales ' nonprofit , Gridiron Heroes , provides emotional and financial support to high school football players who 've sustained life-changing spinal cord injuries . Taryn Davis Taryn Davis was just 21 when her husband , an Army corporal , was killed in Iraq . In 2007 , she created the American Widow Project . To date , her nonprofit has provided a community of support to more than 900 young military widows . Sal Dimiceli Sal Dimiceli has spent decades helping people get back on their feet . Through a local newspaper column and his nonprofit , The Time Is Now To Help , Dimiceli assists about 500 people a year with food , rent , utilities and other necessities . Derreck Kayongo Derreck Kayongo 's Global Soap Project collects partially used hotel soap and reprocesses it to save lives . Since 2009 , the Atlanta-based nonprofit has provided about 150,000 bars of soap for communities in 10 countries . Diane Latiker Surrounded by gang violence in her Chicago neighborhood , Diane Latiker opened her home to area youth and started a community program called Kids Off the Block . Since 2003 , her program has helped more than 1,500 young people . Robin Lim Robin Lim became a midwife after her sister died from complications during pregnancy . Since 2003 , she and her team in Indonesia have helped thousands of low-income women have a healthy pregnancies and births . Patrice Millet After being stricken with cancer , Patrice Millet dedicated his life to helping children in his native Haiti . His nonprofit youth soccer program provides free equipment , coaching and food to hundreds of participants from the slums and teaches them to become responsible citizens . Bruno Serato Since 2005 , chef Bruno Serato has been serving free pasta dinners to children , many of whom are poor and live in motels with their families . Today , Serato provides dinner seven days a week to more than 300 children at the Boys & Girls Club in Anaheim , California . Richard St. Denis Since 2008 , Richard St. Denis and his organization , World Access Project , have provided hundreds of wheelchairs and mobility aids to people living with disabilities in rural Mexico . Amy Stokes Amy Stokes is redefining `` family '' for South African children affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty . Her organization , Infinite Family , has connected almost 500 teenage `` Net Buddies '' with nearly 300 volunteer mentors from all over the world via the Internet . Note : Elena Durón Miranda was initially chosen as one of the top 10 CNN Heroes , but she later asked to withdraw . CNN honored her request .
The top 10 CNN Heroes of 2011 have been revealed by CNN 's Anderson Cooper . They will be honored at ` ` CNN Heroes : An All - Star Tribute , '' which aired live December 11 . The annual tribute ##s will be hosted by Cooper and reveal the CNN Hero of the Year .