November 6th, 2014

CNN HEROES 2014 Kicks Off with Two Special Presentations

Stars and Stripes Unite and Rescuing the River Set Stage for the Eighth Annual Broadcast of CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute

As the winner of this year’s “CNN Hero of the Year” awaits to be revealed during the upcoming global broadcast of CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute, Anderson Cooper will host two special presentations, going in-depth with musician Kid Rock, actor Gary Sinise, comedienne Kathy Griffin and last year’s Hero of the Year.

Just what do Kid Rock, Gary Sinise and Kathy Griffin have in common? Beyond their undeniable talent, it’s their unyielding support for our Veterans. In the half-hour Stars and Stripes Unite: A CNN Heroes Special, Anderson Cooper will take viewers inside their personal and profoundly moving journeys with the troops.

From a stop in Kid Rock’s Michigan to a revealing sit-down with Griffin to a lively performance by Sinise’s Lt. Dan Band at a Marine base, these three celebrities will open up about how and why they are dedicated to helping our servicemen and women. Stars and Stripes Unite airs just ahead of Veterans Day on Friday, November 7th at 10pm ET/7pm PT. 

Rescuing the River: A CNN Heroes Special will catch us up with last year’s Hero of the Year, Chad Pregracke, who has made it his life’s work to clean up the Mississippi River and other American waterways. Pregracke will take viewers inside his unusual cleanup operation that has removed eight million pounds of garbage from our rivers over the past 17 years, earning him the much-deserved title of 2013’s CNN Hero of the Year. Rescuing the River airs Friday, December 5th at 10pm ET/7pm PT. 

The 2014 CNN Heroes initiative will culminate with the broadcast of the Peabody Award-winning and Emmy-nominated CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute on Sunday, December 7th at 8pm ET/5pm PT on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Español. Hosted by Anderson Cooper, and returning to the iconic American Museum of Natural History in New York City, the eighth annual All-Star Tribute will honor individuals who are making extraordinary contributions to help improve the lives of others.  Since its inception, CNN Heroes has received tens of thousands of nominations from more than 100 countries and profiled over 200 heroes.

For the latest information about the Top 10 CNN Heroes, viewers and online users are encouraged to visit CNN Heroes on Facebook, follow @CNNHeroes on Twitter and use the hashtag #CNNHeroes. Additionally, behind-the-scenes CNN Heroes images can be viewed on CNN Heroes’ Instagram account.

About CNN Worldwide

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media. For more information, visit www.CNNPressroom.com.

Press Contact: Megan Rivers, megan.rivers@turner.com, 212-275-7985