mimight even m make you ugly cr. anand that's o okay. just feel it.. feelel all the g goodness. because this is "cnn heroes." ooh. ♪ >> announcer: from the american museum of natural history in new york city, this is the 17th annual "cnn heroes: an all-star tribute." honoring everyday people changing the world. please welcome your hosts, anderson cooper and laura coates. [ cheers and applause ] and thank you and welcome to the 17th annual "cnn heroes: an all-star tribute." we are coming to you live from the milstein hall of ocean life at the american museum of natural history in new york. and we want to welcome our viewers watching around the world. and i want to say a very special welcome to cnn's laura coates. we are so glad you're here. >> thank you. [ cheers and applause ] wow! i'm glad to be here. i had a prom under a whale once and i was alone, so i'm glad i'm here with you right now. >> wow, that's quite a story. >> it is. we'll talk later. >> all right. >> it's an honor to be here, everyone. i have so admired heroes for so many years. this year's honorees are absolutely incredible. they care for veterans, repair our oceans, assist the needy, bring confidence to our schools and our kids in forgotten neighborhoods. and they do so much more. they have found ingenious ways to do their bit of good where they are. and tonight is truly all about the people who poke holes in the darkness so that the light gets in and reminds us all that there is hope and that change is always possible. in other words, you've had quite the gig you have not told me about all this time. >> it's a great gig. 17 years. cnn has given each of our top 10 heroes a global platform to share their work and $10,000. now, later tonight one of the honorees will be named the 2023 cnn hero of the year. they'll receive an additional $100,000 and more. now, tonight not only are we honoring our top 10 heroes but we're going to be presenting our first cnn heroes legacy award for a lifetime of service. we'll reveal that recipient later in the show. and as always, we are just very grateful to have all the artists who have donated their time to honor our heroes. >> yes. absolutely. [ cheers and applause ] you know, this year given the state of the world, you can imagine where we are right now, most of us have probably searched for a small quiet place to maybe do a little bit of ugly crying. maybe in our cars, our empty stairwells, wolf blitzer's office. it's a therapy place. someone's on my couch right now. that normally is me. but that's fine. he really knows how to listen. whatever room he's in is situational. >> i did not know he provided that service. >> he does. the d.c. crowd. >> tonight if you cry it will likely be because of the joy our heroes create with their work. so let's get started. >> ooh. i want to say this line. hold on. sorry, anderson. let's meet our first hero. >> in the united states 61% of underresourced children have no books in the home and only 17% of black fourth-graders are proficient in reading. >> i have a fourth-grader at home. this is amazing to think about. to share how our hero is changing these numbers for black boys in particular, please welcome the star of the brand new film "american fiction," jeffrey wright. [ applause ] >> thank you. reading is freedom. it unlocks the world's possibilities and a child's potential. alan irby's mother instilled this value in her son. she was an elementary school teacher and on weekends she'd call alvin to the kitchen table for reading lessons. he didn't like that much. but because of her care he read well. in high school he was bored in his regular english class, doing spelling tests and reading short stories, so he asked to join the advanced class. and there he fell in love with language reading classics. he also noticed that in his new classroom the students were all white. while in his regular class they were black and brown. this upset him and pushed him toward his life's work. he followed in his mother's footsteps and became a teacher. and in 2013 he launched barbershop books to encourage black boys to fall in love with reading as he did. to date he's put more than 50,000 books in 250 barbershops, reaching more than 10,000 boys. they're getting their cuts, they're shaping their fades. they're bonding with mentors. they're seeing the possibilities in the world. and they're doing it in the hearart of theirir communityty, barbrbershop. ♪ >> bararbershops a are a cultut center foror black comommunitie. evevery month h no matter r who are you'u've got to o go get a . i was teteaching firirst grade ththe bronx anand i was gegetti haircut and d one of my y stude came intnto the barbrbershop.. he is s getting anantsy and heh lookoking bored.d. he should d be practicicing his reading. but t i didn't h have a bookok. barberershop booksks inspires s boys and o other vulnenerable children t to read foror fun. >> what's s up, man? how arare you doining? >> we e install a a child-friei readading space e in the bararb. we l literally a ask little e b boys, whatat do you lilike to r? and thenen we buy ththe books. and then t those are t the book that we e distributete to our national n network of f barbers. >> i i just wantnt to like s sh some tipips and strarategies tot evenen talk to t them about t b. >> many blblack boys a are raisy single m mothers.. so t there's thihis opportununi supporort barbers s in becomini black k male readiding role mom. >> what t you readining? >> i'm'm reading " "diary of a >> wimpypy kid. i i used to reread that bobook e time whehen i was yoyounger. >> they'y're centralal to the w. > how do yoyou say thatat wo? > fly guyuy. >> rigight.. hi f fly guy. itit rhymes. >> thehey have posositive blaca ololder men araround them m tha gigiving them m directionsns, encouragaging them t to read. that will l empower ththem. >> t the kids, t they love i it. they'r're reading g with theiri parentnts. and that's's great to o see as . >> thehese books i i would saya power. ththe power ofof funness. >> you w want to couount the gr beanans? > yeah. onone. >> y yep.. >> t two. > i'm just t excited ththat toto create a a safe spacece fo to do somemething thatat is rea lifefe-changing.g. that's what i really believe reading is. >> it unlocks potential. [ cheers and applause ] >> please join me in honoring cnn hero alvin irby. [ cheers and applause ] >> yo. sit down. many black boys don't identify as readers, but low performance or resistance to reading are natural responses to wack books. at barbershop books we see firsthand the transformative power of engaging reading experiences. children can't read more and get worse at reading. so one key to solving america's current reading crisis is simple. curate content that create conditions that inspire kids to read for fun. please join us in helping the babies read. thank you all so much. [ cheers and applause ] >> i love that. for asylum-seeking families living in shelters at the u.s.-mexico border the process for entry can take a day, can take a month. it can take years. during this time most kids living there cannot go to school. >> here to tell us how our next hero decided to help the more than 21,000 kids who are caught in this limbo you describe is a very proud supporter of unicef and one of the stars of "the hunger games: the ballad of songbirds and snakes," rachel zegler. [ applause ] >> 22 years ago a 10-year-old girl sat in school in cali, colombia. estefania rebellon was suddenly pulled from class and told to meet her father in the principal's office. because he was a lawyer, colombian rebels had threatened him. so the family went into hiding and two weeks later they fled. estefania, scared and uncertain, landed in miami, florida with one toy and the clothes on her back. like all asylum seekers her family didn't choose this new life. they were forced to flee for their safety. but thanks to good teachers and her hard-working parents she earned a college degree and began an acting career in los angeles. in 2018 during a surge in the border crisis in mexico she volunteered at a camp and met asylum-seeking children who struggled even more than she had. with $1,000 in savings she opened a school at that camp and launched the yes we can world foundation. in just five years she's opened more schools, transformed three buses into mobile classrooms and provides free supplies and meals all year long to kids 3 to 15. she is an incredible citizen, saying to countless kids you matter, you are loved, and you you are safe to learn. >> when we arrived at the border, people were everywhere. >> i just kept feeling like the weightht of this c crisis was o shoulderers. i couldndn't sleep.. and i ththought why y don't we a bus into a mobile classroom and then we can take it to all the different shelters. we literally just googled onon yoyoutube how w to convertrt a into a mobile classroooom. all of the placement of things, all the colors, all the furniture e is all verery intentional to be e able to bub the best space that we can for the kids. many have experienced terrible tragagedies, rapape, murder,r, haharassment, , kidnappingng, dc violence. schools are the way to be able to help them heal and also help them prepare for what their life is goingng to be likike. i wawant to prevevent as mucuch heartache for the kids that i experienced. my family's case is the case of many refugees and migrants. it was never a choice to leave our home. when we arrived in the united states, i became a very quiet child. i started findining my way t thh beining involveded in the scsch. anytime e i get a chchance i sh my immigigration stotory. therere's alwaysys that swititc happens inin their eyeyes. being a a migrant isis not someg theyey need to b be ashamed d o. ththis is a momoment in your l . this i is not yourur entire lil. this is a a crisis thahat's not going to s stop anytimime soon. i i want our e efforts to o be somethining permanenent that we be p proud to lolook back anand that we were there when people needed us the most. [ cheers and applause ] >> it is my honor to present cnn hero estefania rebellon. [ cheers and applause ] >> buenas noches. i am a proud latina and a proud american. an asylum grantee who was given an opportunity to live safely and to pursue her dreams in this country. no one leaves their home unless they have to. no one. forced migration around the world continues to terrorize and uproot everyday families like mine. at yes we can world foundation we work with the extraordinary kids caught at the center of this humanitarian crisis at the u.s.-mexico border. our tool for change is education. potential is everywhere, but opportunity isn't. join our mission and help us expand access to education for migrant children at the u.s.-mexico border. tonight they are visible and they are seen around the world. thank you. yes we can! [ cheers and applause ] >> hey, congratulations, estefania. congratulations. how are you feeling? >> oh, my gosh. this is overwhelming. and i'm just so proud of our team. and i'm just so proud to be a latina and to be here representing tonight migrant children at the u.s.-mexico border are heroes to me, so this is for them. >> and rachel, how does estefania's work inspire you? >> oh, my gosh. i mean, as a latina here in the u.s. seeing someone who is also from colombia who's doing such amazing work for our youth, it's a really inspiring thing and i'm very proud to have presented this to her tonight. >> thank you both for being here. congratulations again. you can find out about all the work for our cnn heroes, go to cnnheroes.com. we'll be right back. >> announcer: coming up -- joe manganiello, amanda seyfried, sterling k. brown, iman vellani, danielle brooks and many more of your favorite stars honor our heroes. "cnn heroes: an all-star tribute" is proudly sponsored by servpro, the number one choice in cleanup and restoration. you're probably not easily persuaded to switch mobile providers for your business. but what if we told you it's possible that comcast business mobile can save you up to 75% a year on your wireless bill versus the big three carriers? did we peak your interest? you can get two unlimited lines for just $30 each a month. there are no term contracts or line activation fees. and you can bring your own device. oh, and all on the most reliable 5g mobile network nationwide. wireless that works for you. it's not just possible, it's happening. [ cheers and applause ] welcome back to "cnn heroes." throughout the night as you meet the top ten honorees you can donate to any of them by going to cnnheroes.com and clicking on the donate button. or you can scan the qr code on your screen right now. there are so many ways to give, and we're so grateful that gofundme is working with the heroes. no one makes me ugly cry better than these heroes do. they're an inspiration to us all. oh, and one thing. laura, don't forget to hold anderson's hand backstage. he needs that. have a wonderful night, everyone. [ applause ] >> all right. sometimes it is nice to have somebody hold your hand. a thing of mine. our next hero certainly understands that need for connection. >> he's found a way to use yoga and meditation to help the 1.7 million people suffering from a traumatic brain injury. it's a silent epidemic for those who are injured and of course their caregivers. to tell us about his work is the host of "deal or no deal island" and a member of the board at umpc children's hospital of pittsburgh, joe manganiello. [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you. every day we are reminded that life can change in an instant. for adam pearce that moment came on new year's eve in 2009 when a friend called and said that his brother kevin, a world-class and olympic-bound snowboarder had hit his head on a halfpipe. adam raced across the country, quit his job, and became kevin's full-time caregiver, helping him learn how to walk, talk and reconnect his brain and body to the life that he loved. about two years into kevin's difficult recovery they took a yoga class and something shifted in that class for kevin and they decided to figure out why and how to help others. in 2014 adam co-founded the love your brain foundation, which offers free training courses and classes in yoga, retreats for patients and their caregivers, and contributes to new research about the brain. to date they have supported more than 34,000 patients and their caregivers. that's comfort and connection for those who know what it's like to receive that terrifying call and to those who struggle to find a way forward where they can begin to believe that this new life will be okay. >> seeing g kevin withth 30 tubn his body, it was just devastating. >> did you have a great day today? >> it was a great day. >> great day. >> what i remember most is adam being there. he moved to denver and he did every single day of therapy with me. > breathe i in and liftft yos upup towards t the sky. >> we fofound yoga p probably l two years after his accident.. he'd'd come out t of yoga clcla you'd be likike that's t the ol kevivin. >> threadiding throughgh.. >> w we had so m many peoplele to us sayiying there's's no sup, what did youou do? wewe knew we n needed to d do someththing. our r retreats a are creatining coconditions f for people e to accepted e exact liv a as they . > i knew i i needed to o be other pepeople who u understood because e nobody elslse does. >> i thihink people fefeel isol afafter a braiain injury b beca theyey don't feeeel able. when y you don't f feel able, , gegenerally reretreat backck in. > it's hardrd. i lostst my identitity. >> therere is a deepep connecti formeded because t there is sos cocommon undererstanding o of t chchallenges t that go alolong brain n injury. i hope peoeople walk a away froe retreat t feeling ththat they ha sensnse of contrtrol in theieir healing. oftentntimes our m medical sysy has us t thinking ththat someon else c can fix us.s. there isis so much m more that can dodo for ourseselves.. everery single p person on t th planet's going to be faced with a a challenge. it doesn't matter what that challenge is. itit's how youou deal with it. i am totalally and comompletely% happy wiwith where i i'm at tod. >> whahat this has taught me is thatat trauma anand adversititye a popowerful pathway for deeper learnining and growth. [ apapplause ] >> please join me in honoring cnn hero adam pearce. [ cheers and applause ] >> wow. this is for you. this is for you. >> in my experience transformation most often occurs in situations filled with great challenge or great love. at love your brain we have both. when we explore our joys and grief together, we can forge pathways to greater understanding and resilience. for anyone navigating the uncertainties of brain injury i want you to know that you are not defined by your injury but by the compassion and courage with which you face it. thank you. [ cheers and applause ] >> tonight not only are we honoring our top ten heroes but we're also celebrating two young people who can show us you can make a difference at any age. we call them young wonders. >> to shape our first young wonders, i know that's you as well, anderson cooper, but our first young wonders -- >> don't mock me. >> i'm not mocking you. it's sincere. our first young wonder is a remarkable story, is a student organizer for the prockin foundation whose mission is to promote awareness of the holocaust, genocide and antisemitism through education and a star of bradley cooper's "maestro" and hit max series "and just like that," alexa swinton. [ applause ] >> in 2019 a young boy traveled to the city of galilee in the northern part of israel. steven hoffen volunteered for an organization led by arab and jewish women to promote sustainable agriculture, women's empowerment and cultural understanding. what struck steven was how they were doing this. growing fresh produce in towers on rooftops and in kitchens. he saw up close how hydroponic farming worked to bring healthy food to those who needed it and could be a way to battle climate change. he returned home to new york city and eventually started his organization, growing peace. in just two years he has placed 14 systems in the bronx which helps formerly incarcerated women and low-income families, seven towers in washington heights to help low-income seniors and seniors living with a disability, and built a massive system at the food bank in tel aviv. his work reminds us that no matter our age when we see something new and take it in big things like cooperation, community and change are possssible. ♪ >> what struck me most about hydroponics was that it seemed sosome high-tetech. like s something o out of a mom. instead of growing food from the ground we're growing crops out of these tall shiny towers by passing nutrientnt-rich wateter through their roots. hydroponic farming saves more wawater. it also uses less space, making it easier to grow w in food deserts anand urban arareas. the e name of mymy organization growing pepeace. we i install thehe hydroponinic sysystems to a alleviate f food insesecurity.. every y week i visisit some ofo sites toto monitor t the systemd sesee how the e crops are e gro. > 1,533. >> it brinings me joy y to expo otheher young kikids to hydrdro. >> youou just wantnt to cut itit atat the root t of each leleaf . you're doioing a greatat job. > we can babasically grgrow anytything that t grows in t th grground, likeke leafy grereens chererry tomatoeoes and ststrawberries. > enjoy. >> the p produce thahat we harv go to varirious commununities i neneed includiding elderlyly pe. >> enjoy. >> i i hope to s spread the mes that a as climate e change woro wewe need to s switch to m more suststainable memethods of food productionon. >> thahank you. >> with ththese systemems in pl commununities won't be l lackin healththy food. >> thanknk you. >> thank you so much. enjoy. >> when i see the smile on somebody's face, it makes me feel like i really made a difference. [ applause ] >> wow. >> well done. >> i know. >> great job. [ cheers and applause ] such a sweetheart. and don't forget to tell us what you think about steven's work and all of our top ten honorees by tagging cnnheroes. great job. >> we'll be right back. >> announcer: up next on "cnn heroes," "the color purple's" danielle brooks honors an incredible hero for kids with incarcerated parents. don't go away. "cnn heroes" will be right back. "cnn heroes: an all-star tribute" is proudly sponsored by novartis. welcome back to "cnn heroes." in the u.s. there are nearly 3 million children who have an incarcerated parent. >> here to tell us how our next hero is helping those kids in the washington, d.c. area go on to college is the co-founder of black women on broadway and the star of the new film "the color purple," hence all the purple, danielle brooks. [ cheers and applause ] >> too many kids of incarcerated parents think i'm alone, i'm ashamed, people think i'm trouble too. yasmine arrington brooks had those thoughts. her father has been in and out of prison most of her life. when her mother passed away when she was 13, yasmine went to live with her grandmother, who created a home filled with love and the love of learning. and in a social change program for teens she was asked what pisses you off? yasmine answered incarceration. not just because of her life experience. but she and her grandmother had been researching college scholarships and learned that nothing existed for students with incarcerated parents in their region. yasmine pitched the idea for scholarchips. it provides college tuition money, offers mentoring programs, book grants, emergency funds to cover unexpected bills and provides each student with a new laptop. since 2014 more than $450,000 has helped nearly 100 students. thanks to this superstar kids are learning that they aren't alone, that they are seen, loved and supported by a community that is so very proud of them. >> having a parent that's absent from the home and particularly when you know that they're incarcerated, a lot of questions go through your mind. it's very humiliating. it is demoralizing. you just miss a lot. parents ofoftentimes m miss gradaduations, b birthdays. not hahaving my fafather in mym, i wawas still vevery insecurure lot of w ways. i nevever talked a about it ini scschool becauause it becocomes thing whwhere someonone can ststereotype y you. and so mosost of the t time we' very sililent about t it. >> tiaiana. hi! >> the m main objectctive of ou scscholarchip p program isis to directly a address thehe financ gap p and challelenges that t m our scscholars facace. >> getetting readydy for gradud. >> y yeah. i'm soso excited! >> we all are coconnected bebec of the l lived and s shared experirience of hahaving an incacarcerated p parent. so w we all sortrt of bond o of ththat. itit's definititely a lifefelin. >> m my dad has s been incararc basisically sincnce i was bobor. mymy dad is anan intellectctual heart. he l likes to tatalk about t th ththings that t i'm learnining. the scholalarship was s definita game c changer foror me. it c changed my y entire oututl collllege. it's's definitelely much morore just likike the schoholarship t i'm m getting bubut also thehe k and the e support. i'i'm startingng law schooool i fall. >> helello there.. >> m my mentor i is a lawyerer. she has bebeen my carereer supp my emotitional suppoport, my li support.t. >> youou have donene it. i'm m really so o proud of y yo. i realally am. >> h hey, mick. >> i knonow i've gotot my numbee hype w woman in mimiss yasminen. >> i'm'm excited f for you, mic. i'm so excited for you. >> i accepept my dad f for who isis.. our r relationshship is compmpl. >> schololarchips isis my way o making surure young pepeople lie can sesee the lighght at the e the tunnelel. >> youou're growining, you're e glowing.g. i'i'm loving i it. > when you u have a comommun support t around youou and there other pepeople rootiting for yoo undersrstand what t you're goio through h and where e you've co from, it just really changes your whole life. [ applause ] >> girl, you are the light. please join me in honoring cnn hero and number one hype woman yasmine arrington brooks! [ cheers and applause ] >> our parents are not defined by their worst moment, and we are not defined by the collateral damage of the prison industrial complex. children of incarcerated parents all over the world, rise up. knock down those barriers. open up those doors. you are worthy of all of the beautiful things that life has to offer. scholarchips scholars and alumni, thank you for being you and for making our community so strong and transformative and healing. friends, please. please join us to expand our impact for millions of children of incarcerated parents everywhere to make their dream of a college education a reality. thank you. [ applause ] >> oh, my goodness. how excited. i am so excited for you. you are just love and light, my friend. >> thank you. it's a reflection. it's a reflection. this is a lot of black girl magic right here. i'm loving this. >> love it. >> well, you are the most magical. what you're doing. what does this mean to you, to be recognized in this way for what is your passion, what is your calling? tell me. >> it just feels like a dream. i just keep saying pinch me, pinch me. i'm so eternally grateful. this is a major, major breakthrough. anyone who's a founder, especially of a grassroots non-profit organization, knows how difficult it is to raise funds and capital and get the word out and build capacity and sustainability. so this right here is the beginning of so much more. and it's so needed. >> well, you heard her, danielle. go ahead and pinch her. there you go. all right. if you want more information of course go to cnnheroes.com. love you, sis. >> i love you. >> announcer: coming up, ms. marvel iman vellani honors a hero. amanda seyfried, brooke shields and sterling k. brown. and later martin sheen presents a very special award. "cnn heroes: an all-star tribute" is proudly sponsored by humana. a more human way to health care. [ cheers and applause ] our organization sends volunteer medical teams to disaster areas, humanitarian crisis and refugee crisis around the world. becacause of dononations thahat received from being a cnn hero we've been able to buy medication, supplies and equipment around the world, in kenya, the earthquake in turkey, the fire in maui. that is not something that we would have been able to do prior to having the exposure and getting the donations. it literally changed the face of our organization. the amount of people that we are able to help. [ cheers and applause ] >> unbelievable. every day our heroes like teresa work hard to help as many people as possible. and with the right support including yours they can do just that. >> this year the elevate prize foundation is helping amplify the impact of our cnn heroes even more. lelet's take a look. >> the world needs heroes now. we're at a tipping point. we just have to awaken that spark. >> four yeyears ago enentrepren joe e deitch fouounded the e el prize founundation witith an ulultimate goaoal. >> if we m make good f famous, can take good further. >> w with that i in mind thihis the fofoundation b brought ouru heroes together in miamimi for crcritical nonon-profit anand leadershship trainining. >> how many people have a formal boboard? > we've just been learning s mumuch about h how to expand ou reach h and help more people. >> we've learned about social medidia, financicial plannining. it's all been extremely helpful. >> t they've given me opportunitities to thihink in a differerent way anand hopefulll more proroductive. >> trainining that arrrrived ri on timime. >> everyththing they s said sho not be done is w what my accountant was d doing. i justst had to geget rid of m accoununtant. >> the heroes also participated in the foundation's annual summit for global change makers and donors. >> we can use visibility to inspire people to drive change in their communities and to ignite the next generation of socicial entreprpreneurs to get ininvolved. >> i startrted the orgrganizati wiwith my mom m in her gararage. and nonow i'm talklking to huge decision makers. >> the elevate prize foundation, cnn, what they want for us is for us to be able to grow our impact and to do more. [ applause ] >> in its second year of collaboration with cnn heroes global non-profit the elevate prize foundation is committed to magnifying the work of changemakers, creating a network for good and inspiring action on an international scale. here's their founder, joe deitch, and ceo carolina garcia jayaram. [ cheers and applause ] >> real change requires people with passion, purpose, and persistence. we are here to celebrate ten such individuals. ten people doing the extraordinary. >> our mission at the elevate prize foundation is simple. to create a global fan base for good and inspire action. tonight these heroes are getting the recognition they deserve. their stories remind us that we each have the power to change the world. we just need to take that first step. >> by donating to cnn heroes you can join us in taking that step. the elevate prize foundation will match any donation dollar for dollar up to $50,000 for each of these heroes. so please, if you're able go to cnnheroes.com, click donate and contribute to your favorites. thank you to "cnn heroes" for introducing us to these remarkable people and for helping to grow this global movement for good. [ cheers and applause ] >> so please go to cnnheroes.com, support our heroes and their work like our next one. he grew up in ghana in west africa where 32 million people are served by only four main hospitals. those who live in rural communities often have to choose between working to feed their family or traveling long distances to receive basic but often life-saving preventative care. >> and to share how he found a way to bring health care to them is one of the stars of "the marvels" and a champion of the aga khan development network, iman vellani. [ applause ] >> a grandmother's love is big, profound and everlasting. osei boateng felt it deeply with his. but her high blood pressure went untreated for too long and she died from a stroke. let's talk about the power of an aunt's love. the fun, the spoiling, the care. osei lost his aunt from complications caused by untreated diabetes. in that aching swirl of preventable pain he vowed to find a way to bring health care to rural areas. after immigrating to the united states with his family he got a full scholarship to study biology at cornell university. when he returned to the beloved ghana in 2017 he launched okb hope foundation to bring health care to his people. he turned a van into a mobile clinic complete with lab, medications, a physician, nurse and has trained a legion of local health care advocates. so far thousands of people have received life-saving and life-changing care. one man, one idea, and one more example of what the power of love can do. >> w we've desigigned the vavana clinic. when we e are traveleling especy long distatances therere's a lo poththoles. there have beeeen a lot ofof ti where our car got stuck in the mud. >> this isis our dailyly experi. >> we can n get up as earlrly a 2:2:00 a.m. we've been to communities where they haven't seen a doctor before. literally. they haven't been to the hospital b before. 90% to 95%, eveveryone thahat t through h has one hehealth i is the e otother. we have a physicician. the nunurse will collelect thei vivitals. wewe have our r lab tetech. and dependnding g on the persos conditition, i if the doctoror additiononal labs we have somem point t of care lalabs that we n ththe vavan. typhoioid, that ma lairiria. we havave like a one-stop shop for people. we k know that w we had limimit resources, so we i identified d people whoho would be e passion about t health carare. anand then we e trained ththem varirious healthth diseases,s, g frfrom malariaia to diabetetes.. we g give each o of them a b bl pressusure machinene so they c house to house and provide care for people in their community. up to date, we've served about 4,000 people. so, imagine if you had two or three vans. going g into thesese communititd really providing them with health care, seeing how the moms, the fathers, that grandmothers, the children, words s cannot desescribe the e feeling ththat you getet provid care foror someone w who otherw woululdn't be alalive if thehe health van wasn't there. >> please join me in honoring cnn hero osei boateng. >> too many of us know how it feels when you lose your loved one to a preventable disease. too many of us know how it feels when you see care but never find it. and too many know how it feels when you're going through a mental health challenge but have no support. thousands of individuals live in rural and underserved communities face this daily. and this is what we are working so hard to address because every life deserves the best possible care. this award is a testament that health care should not be a luxury but a fundamental human right. with your help, we can save more lives. thank you. [ applause ] still to come on "cnn heroes," amanda seyfried and brook shields. and soon we'll find out the 2023 cnn hero of the year. ♪ ♪ we are back with cnn heroes, and we want to remind you that the elevate is -- that elevate is matching your donations to all our top ten cnn heroes, up to $50,000 each. so, go to cnnheroes.com, click to donate. you can do it now and support our incredible honorees. >> in the united states there are more than 33,000 veterans who sleep on the streets. even in the military cities like fayetteville, where my mother is from -- hi, mommy -- home to the v.a. facility, our veterans, they are struggling. >> here to tell us how our next hero who found a unique way to help them, vital research and type one diabetes, documentary about her life, "pretty baby," brooke shields. [ applause ] >> sometimes life beats us down. some big event comes along and it just knocks you to the ground. that happened to stacey buckner in 2008. she was an outdoor-loving camper one moment and the next having a stroke in her shower. after being hooked up to machines for months, they discharged her in a wheelchair, with a traumatic brain injury. they declared her unable to work. coming from a military family, which instilled a sense of true service for her, stacey fought back the suicidal despair, and she worked with a local agency to get a job at the va medical center. on her way to and from this truly life-saving work, stacey saw homeless veterans behind the strip mall. one day she handed a woman a hygiene packet, and the woman tossed it back to her and said, i'm homeless, where am i supposed to shower? stacey knew where, her jeep. because of her love of camping, it had a shower hookup. and that's when stacey started off-road outreach. and off-road outreach provides dozens of homeless veterans each week with showers, fresh produce, clothing, and connects them to critical services. life hit stacey hard. but she's up. she's showing her city how to give back, and she is literally showering it with her love. >> a lot o of these veveterans,y are deepep in the wowoods. i i have severeral veteranans t i've actctually beenen looking ththat got disisplaced. it's n not that ththey don't w o be fouound. theyey don't wanant to be inin pupublic eye. >> heyey, what's u up, baby? how you dodoing? >> gainingng trust is s really, really impmportant. >> we didndn't have ththe half sizezes, so we g got the nexext size. >> it takes boots on the ground to get back there, find them, and memeet their needs. comingng out of ththe hospitala a a traumatic c brain injujury, a stutteter. no one w wanted to h hire me.. you wondnder, why arare you sti here?? but t i just thohought, you u k god did d not put meme here to liviving that sasame life i i w living befefore. evenentually, i i did find a a cocommunity reresource foror ad with disababilities. they took k a chance o on me. i saw a gagap in servivices for homeleless veteranans, and i j thought,t, you know,w, i can do somethining about ththat. >> l let me knowow when you'u'ry and i'll s start the s shower, ? >> we e provide clclothing, fof. ththere's a fufull kitchenen in back.. we a also do lauaundry. >> your papants are alalmost do spinningng, baby. >> for veteterans, we e do wrap aroundnd services.s. >> i likike this eststablishmen. >> t this is my y brick and d m. >> it't's just fililling a basa human needed. >> thehese are reaeady to hangn drdry. they'r're clean. smell. >> feel lilike a womanan. >> yeaeah! frankyky, you readady to showew babyby? itit'll be wararming up fofor y. > sometimeses i really y do surprprise p people withth who . >> oh, my y god, you s smell go. right hehere is someme deodoran baby. >> looook at me. i look r really rougugh around edgeges, right?? i'm all l tatted up,p, and i ma throw w out a cursrse word evevw anand then, bubut i mean j just stacacey. >> h hey, what's's up, broththe? that's foror you. whwhat else yoyou need? > being calalled disablbled,e to say t that i haveve special talents.s. >> you'v've been bururning the up i in that walalker, i knonow much. yoyou have my y number. mymy name's ststacey. > it's impoportant to s show veteransns that therere are ororganizationons out therere t want t to be your r family, tht wantnt to help y you get thrhro life's tririals and trtribulati and really provide support to you. [ applause ] >> it is my true honor to present cnn hero stacey buckner. [ cheers and applause ] >> i want to dedicate this to all of our active duty service members and veterans. thank you. you all are the real heroes in this. these men and women, who once stood on the front lines to protect our freedom, they now face a different battle on the home front. it is now our duty to serve them. through our acts of service, we can embody the very ideals that make our nation strong, unity, compassion, and the belief that, as americans, we are all in this together. and to my mom and dad, thank you for being the pillars of strength and believing in me. and i am truly blessed to have you by my side. thank you, guys. [ cheers and applause ] >> oh my goodness. that one got me, as all the other ones did as well. but according to the department of housing and urban development, on any given night, there are more than 580,000 people who are unhoused. for so many of us, and these americans, their only companion is their beloved pet. >> to share how our next hero works to care for these pets and their parents is also a pet parent. this is her dog, finn. she's the proud supporter of war child usa and best friend's society. please welcome the actress, amanda seyfried. >> in 1979, the blockbuster movie, "the black stallion," wowed kids all across the country, kids like a 7-year-old kwane stewart, who grew up to become a veterinarian because of that film. for years, dr. stewart worked in private practice. but when he became a vet at a large county shelter, he saw something different. day after day, people dropped off their pets because they couldn't feed or care for them. he saw the euthanasia rate soar and his own sense of worth and spirit plummet. he was on the brink of walking away from his childhood dream, when he decided to start helping the unhoused with their pets. he cofounded project street vet, which offers free pet care, vaccines, medications, and food. it started in fresno and moved to los angeles' skid row and has expanded to six cities across the country, including new york city. this idea came to dr. stewart after he stopped to grab something at a 7-eleven. he noticed a man outside with his belongings, and right by his side, he had a dog, a dog in need of care. dr. stewart didn't judge, like so many of us do. he approached the man and his dog with compassion and grace and did the thing that he was put on this earth to do, help. >> i saw an unhoused gentleman with his dog, and this dog looked like a burn victim. fleas can just destroy the skin. i had seseen this guguy before ignonored him. i said, i'll be back tomorrow with something i think will help. and the dog was just transformed. with tears in his eyes, he looked up and said, thank you for not ignoring me. >> hold it right there. i'm going to check her for more lumps. >> that was the moment. that's when i said, i'm goiningo dodo more of t this. i'm going g to get bacack to sa animals. on my terms. and i haven't stopped since. we're going to go right to the heart of skid row. it doesn't matter what your situation is or what your background or past is, i see a pet in need, and i see a person who cares for them dearly who just needs some help. >> how you doing, man? my name is kwane stewart. i'm a veterinarian. if it's okay with you, i'd'd li toto take a lolook. i can treat about 80% of the cases i see out of a really small bag. >> good girl! >> we're going to put some medicine in her ears to take care of the infection, and then i'm going give her an allergy shot. all right, baby, come here. we're going make you feel better. >> i treat anybody i come across. they see me with my stethoscope and my bag -- >> you look good. >> this little dog was days away from dying, and then they started sharing stories about their dog and the history. >> because of dr. kwane, he's alive and thriving. >> it's all right, man, it's all right. >> this door of trust opens. >> he makes me feel good, and he loves me. and i know he loves me. >> the people i've met are some of the most remarkable pet parents i've ever met. i've seen people give up their last meal for their pets. >> this is your partner obviously, huh? >> this is my best friend. >> i admire them when i see how committed they are, the relationship and the bond they share. >> that's it, buddy. you're a good boy. >> the motto we've developed over the years is, no judgment, just hope. a gesture of kindness can change someone's life. >> i come through here and i just look for pets.. >> t this is my y practice. >> now we're reaching so many more pets. i don't know if there's anything better in my career that's happened to me. [ applause ] >> please join me in honoring cnn hero dr. kwane stewart. [ applause ] >> thank you. trying to soak this in like they told me. there are so many people that have helped me reach this point. i want you to know i'm thinking of all of you right now. when i'm asked why i do this work, i simply say, because it's necessary and because i can. i wish i could be out of work tomorrow, but sadly our homeless issue is only getting worse. so, as long as there's a need and as long as i have breath in me, i will continue to care for these pets and their special owners. and we'd love to welcome you in to the street vet family. we live and work by our motto every day, no judgment, just help. thank you. [ applause ] >> congratulations. >> thank you, thank you. >> so, you're in six cities now. how many more would you like to try to be working in? >> well, wow. i guess the dream would be to move into every large urban center, and we would cover a good portion of our homeless population. >> and how do people find you? how do people get your services? >> well, i usually find them. that's how the service works. i started this 12 years ago by packing a bag of medical supplies and walking and searching and finding them. >> congratulations. it's really incredible. is this -- what would more resources do for you? >> well, we could expand more cities and i could treat more pets. my veterinarians, myself, we all volunteer our time. we use the resources to buy medications, to treat animals, give them hospital care for anesthetics, procedures. we can stretch a dollar. >> if you want to support dr. stewart's work and all of our heroes go to cnnheroes.com. we'll be right back. next on "cnn heroes," you won't want to miss this moment. we will present the first ever cnn heroes legacy award the two very special people. ♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> how am i not supposed to cry? i'm not supposed to cry? >> it's incredible. >> all right. i won't cry, cnn. fine, i'm going to cry. we're back now with cnn heroes. and what an incredible update from the 2016 cnn hero of the year. now, tonight, as you mentioned at the top of the show, not only are we honoring our top ten heroes and our young wonders -- that's you too -- but we are introducing something brand-new. it's an honor that celebrates the lifetime commitment to service and an unwavering dedication to making a difference and solving problems. >> we call this honor the cnn >> we call this honor the cnn heroes legacy award. to present our very first is a proud supporter of habitat for humanitarian, multiple emmy and award winning actor, martin sheen. [ applause ] >> thank you. on january 20, 1981, after the pomp and pageantry of celebrating our nation's tradition of a peaceful transition of power, a husband and wife returned to their rural community of plains, georgia. jimmy and rosalynn carter were filled with mixed emotions. sadness that they could no longer serve the american people in the white house, while at the same time overjoyed that the 52 american hostages who had spent well over a year in horrific captivity in iran had been returned home to the loving arms of their families. jimmy and rosalynn sat in their home, the same home where they'd managed a peanut farm, planned their governor and presidential campaigns, raised four children, grandchildren, great grandchildren. now they decided how they would plan their future as a former president and first lady. instead of fading away, or cashing in, they committed fully to a life of service. they did so because, do unto others and to whom much is given are more than the tenets of their faith. they are the foundation of their character, the fuel that keeps their life in service running strong for decades. and tonight we celebrate it all and how it all began in the most humble of ways on the fall day here in new york city. >> in september of 1984, jimmy and rosalynn spent a week with hundreds of volunteers at habitat for humanitarian to rebuild an apartment building in new york city. together, they picked up hammers and nails and raised the hopes of 19 families, when they handed them the keys to their new homes. since that day, across the country and in 14 others, wiwit more than n 100,000 vovolunteer builders, the carter work project has built more than 4,500 homes. >> we work on human rights, and i think a basic human right for any human being, no matter where on earth, is to have a decent place to live to raise a family. >> at the carter center, they also promoted peace and democracy in parts of the world. in 1989, they sent election observers for the first time to panama and a protected democracy and push f for freedom in more than 100 elections. while others looked away from the daunting task of eradicating preventible diseases, they said let's do this. they felt a connection between those small village in the developing world and their small hometown of plains, georgia, understanding that we are all linked. and they pushed to end stigmas, fighting for mental health care and equal coverage, setting goals of dignity for all of us. >> one is to speak out and get people talking about mental illness so that everybody in our country can realize that it's just an illness like any other illness. >> they focused on the needs of 53 million family caregivers, building them a center of their own. the carters did this work for others, giving back as much as they could for more than half a century. [ cheers and applause ] >> on president carter's 99th birthday, i presented this poem to honor him and his first lady. we are called to lift up this nation and all its people to that place where the heart is without fear and the head is held high, where thoughts are free, where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls, from the depths of truth and tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection, with a clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sands of dead habit. where the mind is led forward by thee, ever widening thought and action into that heaven of freedom, dear father, let our country awake. amen. [ applause ] at this time, i am deeply honored to present the first ever cnn heroes legacy award to former president jimmy carter and the late first lady rosalynn. joining us to accept this award on their behalf is their granddaughter, dr. sarah carter. [ applause ] >> on behalf of my grandfather and my late grandmother, thank you for this very special recognition. when my grandparents left the white house, or were involuntarily retired, as my grandfather likes to put it, they dedicated their lives to empowering people to improve their own situations. whether in plains, georgia, or in the tiniest village at the end of the road in ghana, they trusted people to make the best decisions for themselves and to work hard for their own benefit. my grandparents always reminded us that the people the carter center aimed to help were just as intelligent and dedicated to their families as everyone else. the partnerships they forged and the trust they earned in those communities all over the world are at the heart of the carter center's success. my grandparents had the ability to envision the world as it should be, with astonishing moral clarity, and the audacity and determination to pursue that vision over decades. they touched so many people's lives along the way. i'm honored to join you this evening to accept this award on their behalf. thank you. [ applause ] still to come, young wonder, and later, sterling k. brown from "american fiction," and a special performance by aloe black. cnn heroes, an all star tribute, is proudly sponsored by novartis. you're probably not easily persuaded to switch mobile providers for your business. but what if we told you it's possible that comcast business mobile can save you up to 75% a year on your wireless bill versus the big three carriers? did we peak your interest? you can get two unlimited lines for just $30 each a month. there are no term contracts or line activation fees. and you can bring your own device. oh, and all on the most reliable 5g mobile network nationwide. wireless that works for you. it's not just possible, it's happening. ♪ just want to remind everybody, you can support all our top ten heroes tonight by going to cnnheroes.com and click on donate. >> to share how our next young wonder has found a way to bring joy to hospitalized children and teens and others who are fighting cancer in the washington, d.c. area, is a proud supporter of palestine children's relief fund and one of the stars of "the buccaneers," josie toda. [ applause ] >> it happens every day, a father asks his daughter to fix his phone. emily loves her dad, did that magic kids know how to do and made his phone work again. but in that process, she saw a message that her father had cancer. sometimes he couldn't work at the family's takeout restaurant. emily didn't know what to do with her pain and buried herself in books. it was the only thing that fixed her anxiety and despair. she realized she could bring this love of reading to sick kids. so, two years ago, she started for love and butter cup, named after her favorite flower, and has delivered thousands of books. though they may not cure cancer, sharing them fills emily, her dad, her family, and those kids with much-needed joy. >> i just love books because they j just, like, transport yo to a whole new world. when my dad was diagnosed with cancer, it was heartbreakingng, espepecially bececause he's s m absolute b best friendnd. i enenjoy reading so much.h. it's a w way just toto transpor into a newer reality that might be a l little calmlmer. i started thinking, there are little kids out there who are going g through ththe same or r similar r battle as s him, and just broroke my hearart. i justst had to dodo somethingn. i read b books to kikids in hospital. most peoplple just -- >> okay. we have one "harry potter." >> it comes directly to my paparents' bread shop. it's always a mess there with all the books laying a around. it does drdrive them a litittle crazazy. pick i it up, packck it. i i want it ouout of here.e. >> thank y you. >> w wonderful.. thank yoyou so much.h. >> so far r i've donatated 20,0 books. i don't know how it't's possibl. still l freaks me e out. 20,00000. >> helello. >> it's the bestst when i sesee theieir reactionons. and that i is really t the reas why i do what t i do. >> do yoyou like reaeading?? >> i i have a susurprise foror today. >> i hope e it gives t them thee of happiness so that they can inindulge in t this s wonderful ofof literatature thatat just t themem away fromom everythinings going on. it's an escape.. >> unicocorns and ststuff, and s like, yeyeah, this i is perfect. i feel like the e book driveve gigiving purpopose.. >> i realizezed smaller r thing matter more than the bigger things w we often papay attenti to. sometimes i feel like they're years wiser than me. i learn so much from them. [ applause ] >> beautiful, beautiful. >> emily is incredible. you can feel it in her spirit. if you want to learn more about emily's work and all of our top ten heroes, please go to cnnheroes.com. >> thank you, thank you. >> in the 1920s, highland park, michigan, was a bustling city. it was home to big car manufacturing plants, but when they closed, jobs moved away, homes were abandoned, crime and despair took hold. and the city struggled to pay its bills so much so that in 2011, even the street lights were repossessed. >> i can't wrap my mind about that at all. >> i did not know that was possible. >> how is that even possible? well, our next cnn hero has found a way to turn the city's light into youth mentoring. award winning actor and producer and one of the stars of "american fiction," sterling k. brown. [ applause ] >> on september 23, 2007, the sun was out, sky was blue, and the kids on rhode island avenue were barefoot playing. mama shu was working. her sons, 10-year-old and 2-year-old were outside getting ready to cross the street. they held hands, started to walk, and suddenly little jakobi rob was hit by a car. he was hit so hard that he landed yards away. the ambulance took too long, so they wrapped him in a blanket and took him to the hospital, and he passed away that night. the next morning, mama shu woke up thinking, okay, i'm alive. i actually just lived through this. she decided to turn her grief into glory and began to transform the place that had taken her son's life. six months later, she bought an abandoned house for $3,000 and restored it. soon after, she purchased more and more. and in 2016, she launched avalon village. and from one single lot, she created a block with beautiful places, where children are safe to play and learn and where neighbors can thrive together. avalon, it's a powerful word with historic meaning for healing and rebirth. and it's come alive in highland park because when we can turn pain into purpose, we fight for what we deserve. >> as a cicitizen, i w wanted t live thehe in a beauautiful cit. i fefelt that ththat is whatat deserve. after my s son, jakobibi, got kikilled, i neneeded to jujust basically y change paiain into power. jakobi,i, got kikilled, i neneeded to jujust basisically chanange pain inint powewer. g got killlled, i neededed to justst basicacally changege pain intot power.r. itit started o off with mamaybe, four lotots. and nonow we have e 45.. we k kept buyingng the land d b it was s so many thihings insid my h head that i i wanted toto actualally build f for the peoe. ththe homeworkrk house is s a s childrenen can come e after sch. >> whahat is this?s? >> queenen. >> my soulul is yours.s. >> t the childreren can makeke computers, 3-d printers. a library is inside of therere.. and d it is meanant to look k l home. > that's ththree of thehem. i needed three. two, thrhree! >> it't's importanant for our r childrenen to have w what some ththe other chchildren havave i other neneighborhoodods. >> girirl, look, i i know. lookok at this. >> t those are b beautiful. >> the goddess marketptplace, is a place where women entrepreneneurs can provide the services, sell their wareses. unfortununately the lights were repossessed back in 2011. we were actually the very first relit block in highland park. we got five solar ststreet ligh with wifi capabilities on the landnd that we o owned. beauty i is healing.g. it r really is. fofolks hated d to come ovover . now ththey're, likike, bringini their r children o over and sts. people thihink that wewe just c do it.t. and d yes, you c can. start wherere you're a at. you can change your environment. afafter jakobi got killed, it jt helped me to heal.l. the grief f is energy y to move forward. sometitimes i justst sit and i smsmile. but then i i say, you u know wh? i'm not done yet. [ cheers and applause ] >> it is my honor to present cnn hero mama shu. [ cheering and applause ] >> thank you. some people choose a beautiful place. i chose to make a place beautiful. everyone deserves to live the in a clean, safe, and stable community. avalon village will continue to transform more blight to beauty, one block at a time. thank you, cnn, thank you to my heroes, and thank you to my darling boys who reside in the heavens now. i miss you so, so much. i feel you every day, and i know you got me. peace and love to my beloved highland park, michigan. peace and love. [ cheers and applause ] >> oh, my goodness. come here! oh my goodness. me and sterling are so inspired by you. i cannot tell you. you're not done yet. so, what is next? >> expansion, expansion. i want to get my kids a playground. add a playground, tennis court, a little small laundromat. i've got so much to do. i'm so excited. everything. everything and the kitchen sink. >> the future is coming, as you said. congratulations. so proud. to learn more, go to cnnheroes.com. >> nikolai coster-waldau honors a hero rebuilding coral reef, and edie falco honors a hero who helped an indigenous community in montana. cnn heroes, an all star tribute, is proudly sponsored by humera. a more human way to health care. [ cheers and applause ] and we are back with "cnn heroes" live from the milstein hall of ocean life, the perfect place for our next hero. with rising ocean temperatures, acidification, algae, sewage, farm runoff, many predict our coral reefs may become extinct by 2050. in the florida keys, 95% are already gone. >> here to tell us how he has found a way to restore them, is the host of the fourth coming series, "an optimist's guide to the planet," nikolai coster-waldau. >> 27 years ago, a good man chased money at a top financial firm in los angeles. and every morning, mike goldberg did that well. but he knew in his heart that he belonged someplace else, underwater. so, he quit his job and eventually settled his family in the florida keys, opening up a dive shop. and back then, during the dives, they'd see the car-sized brain corals, stag horn, elkhorn, large as trees. fish, life, colors, quarter mile in each direction. but year after year, he saw the coral destroyed. and often, while underwater, he'd cry of the devastation. and instead of letting it continue, he built a community to fight it. he cofounded i care, which grows resilient coral in nursery, uses recreational divers to transplant it, and informs them about the reefs. in the last three years, they've educated 2,000 divers and planted more than 15,000 pieces of coral. the news about the reefs is devastating. but now, each morning, under florida's blue sky and warm waters, mike chases hope. >> i love being underwater. the minute you go diving, the fish are right in your face. a thriving coral reef is incredibly biodiverse. multiple species of coral, multiple species of fish, invertebrates, all living happily together. it's kind of buzzy. i can tell you what a dying and struggling reef looks like easily because it's what i see most of the time now. once you lose the coral, there's nothing there. it's a literal underwater desert. we've lost so much coral. it truly is a devastating number. what i i saw here e was so sada i wasn't sure how to solve the problem. but t then i saiaid, you knonow? i'm going g to try somomething. >> welelcome to motete's nurser. this i is a specieies of braini coraral. they looook like littltle brain wheneverer they get t bigger. >> i'm not a scientist. what i can do is t tell the wow of divers s that are o out ther let's baband togetheher. >> are we ready? >> our goal is to make our reef self-sustaining, and that requires putting down resilient coral. we put them close together on a dead coral head, and they fuse. what i believed would work was and is the recreational dive community coming down and helping us rebuild the reef. >> it's just amazing. i'm obsessed. this coral is brilliant. they look beautiful. >> i'm happy that i get to be part of something that i know is a solution. i see things every time i go in the water that give me hope. >> 100%. they are driving. those are some happy corals. [ applause ] >> it is my honor to present cnn hero mike goldberg. >> thank you. every living thing on our planet is supported by the ocean, or in other words, the ocean is what breathes life into our planet. over half of earth's oxygen is produced by our oceans, and the coral reefs are that life blood. if we lose the reefs, the chain reaction will be devastating. i'm calling on everyone to take an active role restoring this most precious ecosystem, the one that connects each and every one of us. i do see hope. we are a community rebuilding something that will stand strong for generations to come. join us. thank you. [ applause ] >> so the fort belknap reservation in montana is 40 miles from the canadian border. it's nearly 200 miles from billings. when the 5,000 members of the tribes, when they need access to critical medical care like chemotherapy, it's a struggle like no other. many people there live below the poverty line. they don't own a car. traveling hours in the winter with snow drifts is near impossible. >> we want to share our next hero helps her community access that care. a champion of the 52nd street project that connects kids to the theater, the animal haven shelter on center street, and multi-emmy award winner edie falco. [ applause ] >> montana has got big skies, postcard perfect mountains, and the buffalo thundering across the plains. it is a play tescha hawley loves and has considered home for most of her life. even as an informed health care administrator, she spent six precious months navigating the federal state and native medical paperwork maze to meet with the proper specialists. she had four rounds of chemo and 60 treatments of radiation. she travelled three hours each way because that health care didn't exist on her reservation. and when she was finished with her treatment, this single mother of two, social worker, and licensed therapist cracked open her laptop and started the day eagle hope project. she provides tribe members who are sick with free transportation, gas cards, and hotel costs. the work evolved to include a food pantry with local produce and organic buffalo and cow meat, and mental health services to combat high suicide rates. yes, montana is a beautiful place, but it offers spiritual healing because of tescha's eagle-like wisdom and grace. >> pririor to my d diagnosis w cancerer, i thoughght my life e based onon my profesessional ca anand my educacation. and it w wasn't untitil after ti susuddenly reaealized thatat no that mattetered. >> hi. >> hi. > in our cocommunity, w we h lot of peoeople that w won't asr hehelp, and ththey will jujust silence anand sadly susuffer. > okay. we're on o our way.. alall set for r billings.. >> t the need isis huge for r transporortation. >> we e leave on s sunday, spepe night,t, and go dodo my infusis. the round d trip is, l like, 40 miles.s. >> thahank you. see you. >> h how many kikids do you u h? >> 1 12. >> shehe has 12 grgrandchildrer. >> we hahave generatations of famimilies livining in one h hod unit. >> can y you handle ththat? >> y yeah. >> o okay. >> hi. >> if wewe could eatat healthy, would d reduce ourur risk of c . wewe have donene distributution fresesh eggs, frfresh fruitsts vevegetables. in ourur language,e, the ethana ouour buffalo.o. our anceststors prayeded that o buffalo o would suststain us. and that's's exactly w what's happenening today y with our non-profofit work. with thehe seven bufuffalo thate haharvested, w we will gaiain a 5,5,000 poundsds of lean m meat. the need is so greatat for so my things.. manyny times i w wanted to g gi. it's t the barrierers, the huru. >> o our communinity should d b proud bebecause you'u're liftin a lolot of spiririts. > and then n i get thatat sit this i is what i'm'm supposed d dodoing. that's what drives me every day. [ applause ] >> please join me in honoring cnn hero and fellow breast cancer survivor tescha hawley. >> i stand before you as an indigenous warrior woman, with both feet on mother earth, strong, hopeful, and resilient. to the mother recently diagnosed with breast cancer, to the addict, to the indigenous youth suffering silently, and to the families trying to feed their children, my message to you is remain hopeful and maintain your strength through spirituality. i ask everyone to pass no judgment, as we do not know what the person next to us is dealing with. keep our families in prayer and your donation will help heal one warrior at a time. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ >> wow. all right. now, do not go away because coming up is something you've all been waiting for. we're going to announce our 2023 cnn hero of the year. >> definitely don't want to miss that. >> also what we have next, a powerful performance by aloe black. stick around. we'll be right back. >> announcer: "cnn heroes: an all star tribute" is proudly sponsored by servepro. the number one choice in cleanup and restoration. welcome back to "cnn heroes." we are moments away from announcing your choice for 2023 hero. >> please welcome, performing his incredible anthem, "my way," aloe blacc. [ applause ] ♪ i've been sad, i've been lost ♪ ♪ i've been down and out and lonely ♪ ♪ i've been suffering at a job in a world that tries to own me ♪ ♪ but when i wake up in the morning there's an image of a better place ♪ ♪ 'cause the harder that we grind then the sweeter is the glory ♪ ♪ people say i'm foolish ♪ ♪ people say i'm blinded by faith ♪ ♪ but if i run out of air if i crash i don't care ♪ ♪ i'm gonna do it my way ♪ ♪ i can make it through this ♪ ♪ you can throw the world in my face ♪ ♪ but the fear gives me life and i swear till i die ♪ ♪ i'm gonna do it my way ♪ ♪ gonna do it my way ♪ ♪ gonna do it my way ♪ ♪ so put me down and criticize me with your lies and with your parody ♪ ♪ in the darkness i don't hide 'cause i got pride that gives me clarity ♪ ♪ i still wake up every morning with the vision of a better life ♪ ♪ you s see, the opoption of de is just not written in my story ♪ ♪ people say i'm foolish ♪ ♪ people say i'm blinded by faith ♪ ♪ but if i run out of air if i crash i don't care ♪ ♪ i'm gonna do it my way ♪ ♪ i can make it through this ♪ ♪ you can throw the world in my face ♪ ♪ but the fear gives me life and i swear till i die ♪ ♪ i'm gonna do it my way ♪ ♪ hey, i'm gonna do it my way ♪ ♪ hey, i'm gonna do it my way ♪ ♪ every time they build a wall around me ♪ ♪ i will tear it down and say gotta live my dreams ♪ ♪ gotta live my dreams ♪ ♪ even when the floods rush round to drown me ♪ ♪ i just hold my breath and pray let me live my dreams ♪ ♪ every single one of my ♪ ♪ i ain't quitting none of my dreams ♪ ♪ people say i'm foolish ♪ ♪ people say i'm blinded by faith ♪ ♪ but if i run out of air if i crash i don't care ♪ ♪ i'm gonna do it my way ♪ ♪ i can make it through this ♪ ♪ you can throw the world in my face ♪ ♪ but the fear gives me life and i swear till i die ♪ ♪ i'm gonna do it my way ♪ ♪ let me fly through the air if i crash i don't care ♪ ♪ i'm gonna do it my way ♪ ♪ 'cause the fear gives me life and i wear till i die ♪ ♪ i'm gonna do it my way ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> wow. thank you so much, aloe blacc, everyone. i am so excited to say this is the moment we've all been waiting for. it is time for us to reveal the 2023 cnn hero of the year. it's right here, so let's bring back our top ten honorees back onstage. [ applause ] >> since we announced the top ten heroes, we gave you the opportunity to vote for the hero who inspires you. the hero who received the most votes will be awarded an additional $100,000 to continue their life-changing work. this year, thanks to our collaboration with the elevate prize foundation, whose mission is to make good famous and ignite a global movement for change, the cnn hero of the year will also receive an unrestricted grant of $300,000. all ten honorees will receive critical nonprofit training and ongoing support. >> and now the 2023 cnn hero of the year is -- dr. kwane stewart. [ cheers and applause ] [ cheers and applause ] >> congratulations. >> congratulations. >> i didn't prepare for this part, so this is sort of off the cuff. thank you. i've wanted to be a veterinarian my whole life. i, you know -- since i was a child. you know, my dad told me to keep it together. i don't know if that's going to happen, old man. he's here tonight, too. [ cheers and applause ] if i, as a child, could dream of doing something that was impactful, then i think i found it, or it found me. and i'm so lucky to be doing what i'm doing. and i have so many people to be grateful for. there's so many people that have helped get me here. my parents, who instilled good values. my brother who helped me start the charity. ian, thank you. our volunteer veterinarians and technicians. my family, my better half, who's here tonight. my wonderful kids. to name my technician who's home crying right now, thank you. it's been a wonderful journey, and as i get older, i start thinking about those big questions in life. why are we here? what defines us? why are we human? and i think the answer, at least for me, the answer is in the question. what does it mean to be human? and i believe it'san f each oth, believing in each other, helping one another. and all of these people embody that. [ applause ] this part certainly wasn't planned, but the $100,000, i want to celebrate with all of you. it splits evenly ten ways pretty nicely, so it is my contribution to all of us. i want to say i'm honored to know you and to be a part of this fraternity. [ applause ] i'm here in part because -- i'm here in part because i've been willing to share and give throughout my life. there's no reason to stop doing that tonight. i have one last quick thought. i was in the streets one day, and an unhoused man and his pet, after i delivered care, we got to talking. and he said sort of nonchalant, he hadn't eaten in almost two days. and i was due for lunch myself. i returned with a sandwich for myself and for him. he tore off -- it was a sub sandwich. he tore off a corner of it, a piece of bread. he ate it, and he gave the rest to his dog. they've taught me a lot, too. i'll close by saying this. an act of kindness can change your day. change someone's day. an act or gesture of kindness can change somebody's life. thank you. [ applause ] >> what a night. we want to thank everybody for joining us. thank you, laura. >> oh, my goodness. thank you for holding my hand. that was beautiful. can you imagine the level of generosity to say give back immediately? this tells you why we do this. thank you so much. you can support all of our honorees right now by going to cnnheroes.com and click "donate." each donate will be met dollar for dollar. if you know someone as amazing as tonight's honorees, you can nominate them to be a cnn hero in 2024 because officially, anderson, nominations are now open.