The power of selfless generosity …

Anyone who saw the CNN Heroes Tribute last night could be nothing less than amazed that there are so many fellow human beings who are working so diligently outside of the spotlight to make a meaningful impact in the world.

I don't know how there could have been a dry eye anywhere after seeing all of that. We were introduced to a gathering of such truly amazing and tremendously admirable people – every single one renews your belief in the spirit of humanity and the power of selfless generosity.

I’ve been left somewhat speechless, even though it’s Friday morning and I’ve had time to ‘absorb’ the impact of the ceremony itself. I’m so thankful that there was at least a small window of time where a few of these genuine ‘heroes’ could receive the accolades that they so richly deserve. This tribute provided absolute proof that one person CAN make a tremendous difference in the lives of others.

I think the best that I can do is to highlight each winner one more time:


Presenter Jimmy Smits: What does Pablo believe?

He believes it is his responsibility to get up every day, ride his bike to court and fight for his dream -- a world where every family can enjoy access to pure water and air. He believes he has a responsibility to speak for people who have no other voice. And that's why he makes that bike ride every day -- no matter how endless his work seems, no matter how little thanks he gets. Tonight, we recognize him. This honor isn't about who should win this case. This is about commitment, about sacrifice and the determination to fight for justice. This is about a hero.

"Fighting for Justice" - Pablo Farjado

Presenter Tyra Banks: And tonight, we honor Steve Peifer. He is a man who took his own despair -- the loss of a child -- and transformed it to bring healing and hope to the children of Kenya. He gave up a lucrative career in the United States to work in Africa. He saw thousands of children walk miles to school on empty stomachs. He saw them actually lying on the schoolroom floor too weak to sit up. And so he fed them.

He fed them one good meal a day and now 11,000 can sit up and learn. But he did not stop there. He fed their minds, too. He took old metal shipping crates and built computer labs to give them a chance to rise out of poverty. And those children who used to struggle to walk to school now line up at dawn to spend time on the computer.

He went to Kenya with grief. He listened to the children and they gave him the strength to change their world and ours.

"Championing Children" - Steve Peifer

Presenter Kyra Sedgwick: And tonight, we honor Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe, another lady liberty, this time from Uganda. Uganda has been torn apart by civil wars for years. It's turned boys into killers. It turned girls into sex slaves. And while thousands of those girls have come out of bondage, too many have been shunned by their families.

But this remarkable woman would not forget them. She reaches out to them with her voice. Her radio announcements serves as her torch. She calls out to them and offers her school as a place to rebuild. What her voice says is this, "To those who had been beaten, I will heal you. To those who had been raped, I will help you. To those who are forced to beg, I will rebuild your dignity through work."

Across that battle-torn land is a voice that beckons. No one is too sick. No one is too tired. No one is unworthy. And so many will breathe free because Sister Rosemary lights their way.

"Community Crusader" - Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe

Presenter Dr. Sanjay Gupta: And how can we do anything but marvel at tonight's honoree, Peter Kithene, he's an orphan who went back to his village to give back where he lost so much. An amazing story. At age 12, both of his parents died of an unknown disease because people in his village never saw a doctor, they never took any tests. Later, he lost six of his siblings to undiagnosed illnesses. And then he said simply, "Enough." He vowed to pursue his education, so that no one else in this rural Kenya village would face disease without knowledge. He got scholarship after scholarship, until he attended the University of Washington in Seattle.

He told his story and he raised money for a medical facility, with the hope that orphans would no longer outnumber parents. In two years, that clinic has provided care to some 18,000 patients.

Let us marvel at Peter Kithene, a man who gave his village not just an outstretched hand, but his entire heart.

"Medical Marvel" - Peter Kithene

Presenter Rosario Dawson: And tonight we honor Irania Martinez Garcia, a dreamer from Guantanamo, Cuba, who defended her planet by transforming her town dump. She believed that the dump was making people sick and caused her own daughter's leukemia. So she looked out at the toxic smoke and the swarming flies and said, "Nature demands respect!"

She started alone. She started dividing up the trash so the toxic debris wouldn't burn and pollute the neighborhood. She created a compost pile to help bring back the plants and the animals. And now, when she goes to work, 40 people volunteer with her. Her daughter's memory is with her at every turn, as she walks through the neighborhood where the air is cleaner because her trash dump is now a place for the living. Due to U.S. travel restrictions for Cuban citizens, Irania Martinez Garcia was prohibited from attending the ceremony. Accepting the CNN Hero for defending the planet on her behalf was her dear friend from Guantanamo who provides aid to Irania's mission, Alberto Jones.

"Defending The Planet" - Irania Martinez Garcia

The Viewer’s Choice award was presented to Pat Pedraja, a leukemia victim still receiving treatment, but has worked tirelessly to sign up minority donors for the National Bone Marrow Registry. The award was presented by family friend Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York.



PEDRAJA: Thank you. I'm so excited.

Well, first of all, I'd like to thank all the other heroes that were featured online with me. They're all such amazing people doing amazing things. And it was really an honor to be among them.

I'd also like to thank my parents, my mom and my family, because I couldn't have done it without their support and help from my friends. And there are so many people and organizations from around the world voting for me. It really shows how cancer has touched so many of our lives.

And I told everybody I wanted to win so I could come up here and tell everybody about the critical need for bone marrow donors. You can be on the national bone marrow registry in over 50 countries. And just doing something so simple, you can be the one to save the life of a kid like me.

And all of us have the power to make a difference. You just have to never give up and always believe. And I just want everybody to remember that you're never too young to change the world. Thank you.



Presenter Harry Connick, Jr.: And wait until you hear what our honoree, Kayla Cornale, did in Canada. She did what doctors have struggled to do. She reached her cousin, who has autism, through music. It started when Kayla realized that had Lorena was most alive when her favorite songs were playing.

I'm sure they were mine.

(LAUGHTER)

CONNICK: So, Kayla had an idea. She took the 26 letters of the alphabet, and she lined them up on the keys of the piano. And the notes became letters, and the letters became words. And those words helped Kayla communicate with her cousin.

This is one of the great struggles for doctors, finding ways to reach autistic kids. The failures are many. The frustrations, they are decades old. And, yet, Kayla's found a way. This Young Wonder took down the barrier of autism with the universal language of music.

Kayla Cornale, you're my hero, too.

"Young Wonder" - Kayla Corvale

Presenter Glenn Close: Chris (Reeve) was a realist whose hope was anchored in science. He challenged Congress and two presidents to fund critical research, so that, one day, the wheelchair would be obsolete.

Last month, many of the breakthroughs in stem cell research that Chris fought for became a reality. To date, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation has awarded more than $75 million in research grants.

He said, "I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure, in spite of overwhelming obstacles."

I knew Chris. I never thought he was ordinary, no way. But he was and will be forever a heroes' hero.

"Heroes' Hero" - The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation

Everyday Super Heroes – those who went above and beyond to save lives at the risk of their own safety:

John Smeaton – who assisted with the capture of those responsible for setting off a car bomb at Glasgow Airport’s entrance – and then pulled a man from one of the burning vehicles.

Zach Petkewicz – who prevented his classmates from being attacked on the morning of the Virgina Tech massacre by keeping a table wedged up against the classroom entrance. Zach did not appear at the ceremony out of respect for the victims’ families.

Wesley Autrey – who jumped on the NYC subway tracks to save the life of a man suffering from a seizure.

Congratulations to each individual for a very well-deserved salute of their achievements!