( 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 : 'on September 11 in New York City, and the ceremony is scheduled to air live from Times Square. The annual tribute show will be hosted by Cooper and reveal the CNN Hero of the Year .