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