baseball's tting has some teeth if they get a player of this magnitude, but a player like ryan braun, in his 20s, this is bad, bad news for baseball. jon wertheim, appreciate it. good stuff, sir. good stuff. thank you. >> thanks, don. >> i'm don lemon at this cnn world headquarters in atlanta. thanks for watching. "showbiz tonight" is next. right now on a special edition of "showbiz tonight," "showbiz tonight" at "cnn her s heroes," an international night of inspiration. >> thank you! thank you so much! we are so blessed. >> hollywood's biggest stars salute the extraordinary everyday people changing the world. miley cyrus. >> just thought it was the right thing to do. >> plus, a show-stopping performance by the one and only kid rock.

and my very special co-host tonight, actor and activist, j.r. martinez. be amazed, be inspired. a special edition of tv's most provocative entertainment news show, "showbiz tonight," at cnn heroes, starts right now. and welcome to a very special edition of "showbiz tonight," "showbiz tonight at cnn heroes." we're live from the shrine auditorium here in los angeles. we're here for "cnn heroes," hosted by anderson cooper. we'll have anderson take it over at the top of the hour, but we are getting this party started right now and i'm getting a little help from some very cool friends tonight. first off, i am so thrilled to welcome as my co-host for the night, actor and activist j.r. martinez, who, of course, won "dancing with the stars." the great j.r. is hanging out in

our social suite. he's checking out your tweets and facebook posts from all around the world tonight. shiite's kareen wynter's in the thick of the action right down there on the red carpet. our ten cnn heroes nominees will be rocking that red carpet, there'll also be a constellation of hollywood stars here tonight. i'm talking about kid rock, miley cyrus, sophia ver garra, all here to pay tribute to these remarkable everyday people who are changing the world. now, over the past year, this is incredible, we got more than 10,000 hero submissions, and on this star-studded night, we are honoring the top ten, the boldest and the bravest. and later, we're going to reveal who you have voted as the cnn hero of the year, who will get $250,000 to continue their amazing work. right now let's take a look at the life-changing work being done by some of our cnn heroes honorees. >> my husband, corporal michael davis, was killed in baghdad, iraq. after the funeral, i felt ostracized.

i would like to write off my grief due to my young age and i just wanted to talk it with other window dose. i'm taryn davis and i invite a new generation of military widows to share their love, their sacrifice, and their survival. there are moments where they can all reflect. >> our lives didn't end the day that our husbands died. >> don't let might be tell you how to grieve. >> followed by that time where they feel like they're living life to the fullest. >> from my first event, i went from feeling completely alone to not anymore, at all. >> these military widows, they have given me life again. >> in haiti, every day of your life, you are seeing poor kids. i wanted to do something good for my country, for the kids. my name is patrice millet and i do education and soccer with haitian kids. to see the joy on a face of a

kid, that makes me happy. i want the kids to be very good citizens. they can do something. they can believe in themselves. >> in mexico, people with disabilities who can't get around have no options. my name is richard st. dennis. i take wheelchairs to people in mexico who can't afford them, but really need them. wheelchairs means being independent and more active. when i see them happy, seeing their self-confidence, i know people's lives are getting better. >> bon appetito. >> to be in business, you must love the people. and my mission is feeding hungry families. when they go back after school, there's no dinner.

there's no money. >> hi, guys! >> i don't give the kids leftovers. i cook them the fresh pasta. are you hungry? are you hungry? they're our customer. >> we're losing a generation to violence. there are kids that are in gangs, they're homeless. some of them are drug doer. my name is diane latiker, we're known as kob, kids off the block. did y'all do one of these? i tell kids, this is a peace place. this is a safe place. if they knock on that door, they can come in. there are people here who care. and i'm one of them. >> such spectacular and inspiring stories. and we've got the incredible stories of the rest of our top ten heroes coming up later in our show tonight. and i want you to know that you

can make a difference. right now, it is so easy to do. all you have to do is head on over to cnnheroes.com, click on the "donate" tab. listen to this, 100% of your donations are going to the nonprofit of the hero of your choice. thanks to our friends over at google, you're not paying any transaction fees. you get all the money, google's picking up the tab. i encourage you to donate now. right now i want to introduce rapper 50 cent. i know you've watched this from the comfort of your own home before, why is it important to be here this year? >> it's important to acknowledge everyday people making a difference. some of the more influential people need to take a stand and step out there and do some different things. that's what i'm doing with my street king initiative. i partner with the united nations world food program. and with every sale of the actual energy drink, they're providing a meal on behalf of the person who made the purchase. and through s&s audio, my newest

venture, i partner with feeding america, which is the nation's leading charitable organization against hunger to provide 250 meals for each purchase of the audio headsets. >> i know you get firsthand how important it is to do what you can to make a difference. not because someone told you to do it, not because some publicist told you it will look good for you to do this. >> right. i think the business model is more important than an energy drink or headset. i think if i can influence other people to make that same thing, it will become a stand-in. and we'll find money we can't find for issues we really need to focus on. >> and separate from young entrepreneurs, i'm sure you have young kids or aspiring rappers who can say, what can i do? i'm only one kid, how can i make a difference? >> it's not -- a lot of things, they're going to be creative. last night i actually was -- the night before last, i was in the america gives back, and i seen a

guy who was working at a movieing company, decided he wanted to take all of the canned goods and nonperishable items and have it go to food drive organizations. and people generally do leave their things when they're moving to a new place. i said, that was so creative. it came out of nowhere, but it will be effective over time. >> inspiration can come from anywhere. so great to see you. have an enjoyable time. it's such a show, as you well know. 50 cent. thank you so much. kareen wynters hanging out on the red carpet. who are you, kareen? >> the red carpet is blazing hot with so many stars making their way in. and i have the pleasure right now of being joined by emma roberts. we're both shivering here, so we'll try to keep it together. you look lovely. you paid cnn the highest compliment. you said, this is one of your favorite award shows. there are so many in hollywood, night after night events, fund-raisers, but you wanted to be here tonight. tell us why. >> it's one of these award shows

i watch with my mom and my sister and i think it's so inspiring and so important to recognize people who, you know, normally wouldn't be recognized for doing such amazing things that really make a difference in the world and in people's lives. >> i'm sure you've heard all of the amazing stories all week of these honorees tonight, who are just doing incredible things, but it really does inspire us all to act that anyone can make a difference, whether it's donating your time, your money. just get involved, correct? >> it does. people think you have to be famous to make a difference. these are people that some of them have come from, you know, the middle of nowhere, from nothing, and have done things, you know, that i wish i could do and hope to one day accomplish as well. so you know, you can be anyone to make a difference and you can do anything to make a difference. the other day for christmas, i just brought down some canned foods and donated them, just because i was cleaning out my pantry. things like that that seem simple that make a huge difference to people. >> and people who are watching at home and think, gosh, that effort is too difficult, you know, where do i start?

how can i help out? what do you say to them? because these stories tonight will blow people away. they're so inspirational. >> there's no such thing as something too small. you know, like donating your time or donating old clothes you don't want to people or just donating time to help people, that matters. and if you want to do something even bigger, than go for it. people appreciate it. >> emma roberts, it's such a treat having you here. we're so excited to have you part of the show. we'll let you go in and warm up, girl, i know you're cold. she's so delightful. a.j.? >> all right, kareen. well, you can join the conversation as well right now. i encourage you to grab your smartphone, your computer, your ipad, whatever you've got, and go to cnn heroes on facebook. that's where you can learn more about tonight's top ten honorees. follow us @cnn on twitter. you can do that right now. we'd love for you to tweet about heroes. and the you do, make sure you use the trending topic #cnnheroes. we're just getting warmed up here as the sun starts to go

down. coming up next, cnn's anderson cooper joins me. we'll talk about what really has become an annual holiday tradition for anderson, hosting "cnn heroes." one of the true treats of the night will be kid rock. you'll find out why kid calls him the weird ambassador of goodwill from detroit. you're watching a special edition of "showbiz tonight," "showbiz tonight @ cnn heroes." in 2003, my husband and i went to johannesburg and we adopted our son. hiv/aids has really decimated some of these communities. >> hi! >> i can see you! >> i had to find a way to bring the caring effect of other adults for that child to invest in themselves. >> who's this? >> i'm amy stokes. i use the internet to create a

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welcome back to a special edition of "showbiz tonight," "showbiz tonight @ cnn heroes." here we are counting down to "cnn heroes: an all-star tribute." i'm just over the moon to have a very special co-host here with me tonight. it's "dancing with the stars" champ, j.r. martinez, who's hanging out in the social media suite. what's the vibe down there, j.r.? >> what is going on, a.j.? i'm j.r. martinez, and i just want to say, man, we've been getting tweets from all over the world. people are moving their fingers, and they're also hitting us up on facebook too, to celebrate all the major contributions that our top cnn heroes have made in the past few years. >> all right, j.r., truly an amazing night going on. right now i want to bring in cnn's own anderson cooper. of course, he is hosting tonight's "heroes: all star

tribute." you've been hard at work rehearsing. here we are five years into this thing. every year these stories are so urvel unbelievablying e ly inspiring. what excites you most about this year's nominees? >> the thing they have in common, they're not rich people, they didn't have access to power, but saw a need in their communities and decided to do something about it and i just find them incredibly inspiring. >> it is unbelievable to me anytime somebody who may not have any particular means see that need and nobody tells them they have to go out and do something, but they feel compelled as if they didn't have a choice. >> many of the people tonight started off helping one person or two people and it gradually grew as they were able to raise more money and expand. and something about tonight, it's not just a big event where they get honored by celebrities and get attention, the money they'll be able to raise off of this will be allow them to expand their programs

exponentially. >> i know this night has a lot of meaning for you. >> we all travel around the world all the time and we see people often at their worst. it's nice to see the best in people. and this really is a night where we honor the best in people and celebrate the best in people. and, i mean, i keep getting, you know, during every one of these broadcasts, we've done this for five years now, and each time, i'm just incredibly moved. there's always a time i find myself backstage tearing up listening to the stories of these people. just inspired to make change in my life. >> like me, i know you agree, it's one of the best things we get to do all year. 41 minutes away. right now i want to bring in kareen wynter, a little further down the red carpet. kareen? >> hi, there, a.j., i have none other than supermodel christie turlington burns here with me. you look fantastic. how do you feel? >> i feel fantastic. thank you. >> there are so many people out

here supporting causes that are close to their heart, and for you, one is every mother matters. why did you tornado watattach y that cause? >> i had a complication after delivering my first eight years ago, which alerted me to the fact that there were hundreds of thousands of women who die from complications resulting from pregnancy and childbirth every year around the world. so this has been -- every mother counts is something i started as a way to advocate for maternal health and reducing maternal deaths that are preventable. >> and you're so active. that's what we love about all the stars who are coming out tonight. we want to talk about your brand-new dvd, "no woman, no cry." tell us about that. >> it's a documentary film i made. i filmed around the world for two years and it came out last year at the tribeca film festival, but it's just now being released on dvd. so anyone can get it, through every mother counts.org or through own. >> thank you so much, christy a pleasure talking to you. back to you, a.j.. >> thank you so much, so much more still to come.

miley cyrus is here. she's actually pulling double duty tonight. she's performing and presenting at cnn heroes tonight. and fresh off his care tour and ready to rock the house tonight, kid rock. this is going to be unbelievable. you don't want to miss kid rock's amazing performance when "cnn heroes: an all-star tribute" gets underway at the tonight of the hour. you're watching "showbiz tonight @ cnn heroes." >> football is like a religion. >> it was senior night and christian was having the game of his life. >> it was the fourth quarter and a tackle, and i could hear bones crunch, and i was like, i can't move. >> you don't even want to think that your son may never walk again. it's a hard pill to swallow. >> i'm eddie canales, my goal is to be there for young men who have suffered spinal cord injuries playing high school football. than i'm equipped for because i'm raising two girls on my own.

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welcome back to this special edition of "showbiz tonight," "showbiz tonight @ cnn heroes." i'm a.j. hammer. i'm live on the red carpet, just outside the shrine auditorium in los angeles, and i am thrilled to have with me now the legendary rapper, actor, producer, philanthropist ice cube. one of our presenters tonight. it is a thrill for me to have you here. i bet you can't even tell me how many award shows you've been to in your life. why is this one so important for

you to be a part of? >> because these are the real celebrities to me. you know, these are the heroes. these are the people that's, you know, not getting the spotlight all the time. they're doing the everyday work in our communities, and trying to make this world a better place. you know, these are the real celebrities in my heart. >> feels nice to even step aside for a moment and share the spotlight, doesn't it? >> it feels great. you know, it feels great that people like this are getting their recognition. you know, this is a great show, the cnn heroes, it's a great way to recognize real humans, real people that make a difference in everyday lives. >> and you recognize yourself, i know, a very long time ago, how important giving back and participating in your community is. and right now you're doing some tremendous work. you're using your album artwork from some of your biggest albums to help raise money and get money to the aids program. tell me about that. >> we're really pushing the fact that we're selling our art and we're giving back to the

community in charitable ways. i've been working with the minority aids project here in los angeles for a long time, you know, since the '90s. easy e died of aids. i think it's important that we recognize that it is something in our community that's wreaking havoc. so, you know, but it's never enough. you know, we can never give enough time, energy, and money to these causes, and to these people who fight the good fight every day. >> so what do you tell people who may tell you that they want to help out, they do want to make a difference, but they say, what the heck can i do? i'm only one person. i don't think i have the power. i'm not a world-famous rap star. >> the first thing you can do is defeat yourself. there's nothing more powerful than a made-up mind, and when you make up your mind to do something, nothing can stop you. so my thing is, don't make no excuses, get off the couch, and do for your neighbor. do for your friend, your cousin. somebody who's asked for a favor, do something for the next man. >> and pay attention when "cnn heroes: an all-star tribute" fires up in a little over a half

hour. i dare anybody not to be inspired tonight. >> if you're not inspired tonight, you better check your pulse. >> make sure you're still breathing. ice cube, have a terrific time tonight. we're thrilled you're a part of this event. we have so many stars still coming your way on "showbiz tonight @ cnn heroes." what an unbelievable night it is. what's everybody is buzzing about right now. kid rock is in the house. i checked out a little bit of his sound check. this is going to be unbelievable. and you'll hear why his most recent tour actually could make history. that is coming up as "showbiz tonight" as cnn heroes continues. the moment that a woman falls pregnant in indonesia, she is 300 times more likely to die in the next 12 months than if she is not pregnant. if you have money, you can get excellent medical services. but the poorest people don't always get the services they need.

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right now on this special edition of "showbiz tonight," "showbiz tonight @ cnn heroes," saluting everyday people changing the world. a star-studded tribute. kid rock, the bad boy, with a big heart. kid rock is here for an uplifting and unforgettable performance. plus, so many huge surprises, including who will be named cnn hero of the year? a special edition of tv's most provocative entertainment news

show, "showbiz tonight @ cnn heroes" continues right now. welcome back to this very special edition of "showbiz tonight," "showbiz tonight @ cnn here rose." we are live at the shrine auditorium in los angeles. and of course, we are here for "cnn heroes: an all-star tribute," hosted by anderson cooper. hello, i'm a.j. hammer. i'm live on the red carpet and i'm joined by my cohost for the night, actor and activist, and of course, winner of the "dancing with the stars" mirror ball trophy, the great j.r. martinez. he's working the social media suite for us tonight as we count down to our blockbuster global event. that's kicking off at the tonight of the hour. cnn's kareen wynter right there on the red carpet, talking to all the big stars as well. and we are all here for "cnn heroes: an all-star tribute," saluting everyday people who are changing the world. ten cnn heroes will be honored tonight. and then we're going to reveal

to you who you have voted as the 2011 cnn hero of the year. that person's going to walk away with $250,000 to help them continue with all of the great work that they're doing. this incredible night has now been a year in the making. and over the past year, this is unbelievable, we have gotten more than 10,000 hero submissions from all over the globe. and tonight, the lives of these top ten heroes will change forever. each of them will receive $50,000 to help them continue with their great work. so how do they feel oon the this incredible night? you can go to cnn.com to watch streaming video of dr. sanjay gupta. he's interviewing the top ten cnn heroes nominees right now. and one of the superstar performers, one of my favorites, kid rock is here. kid's going to be performing tonight, he's fresh off his care tour. now, this wasn't just any ordinary kid rock tour. oh, no. kid donated proceeds from his sold-out shows to charities in

each of the 12 cities where he played, and especially close to his heart, his hometown of detroit. of course, detroit hit very hard by the bad economy. through the kid rock foundation, he has touched thousands of lives in detroit and beyond. here's his hero story. ♪ you want to roll with the kid rock ♪ >> this is the kid rock that most of us know. a hard-rocking bad boy who burst out of detroit with an unapologetic blend of hip hop and southern rock. he went on to earn five grammy nominations and sell 25 million albums worldwide. ♪ yes, i can >> but many of us don't know this kid rock, a philanthropist, whose charity, the kid rock foundation, has partnered with a group of businesses in detroit to partner with nonprofit organizations in his home state of michigan and around the country. >> just have been fortunate to be in a situation to have some success in life and just thought it was the right thing to do to give back and help people out, especially in my hometown of detroit. >> rock is currently on tour,

giving away a total of $375,000 to local charities in more than a dozen sits along the way. his self-described weird ambassador of goodwill says that despite motown's on economic hardships, the city is still able to give back. >> even though in detroit, we don't have a lot of work right now, we're willing to take some of that and try to help people in other consults around the country. ♪ it feels good to be >> reporter: rock, who's performed for u.s. stations all over the world says his charity helps u.s. veterans in need, but that's only a fraction of the foundation's focus. >> we've done a lot for children with life threatening illnesses and a lot of things with cancer. anything. anybody that needs help that i'm available to hear about a story, to be able to touch somebody and make a difference in their life. >> reporter: and perhaps the best advice in making a difference comes from a line in

rock's latest single "care." ♪ the least that i can do is care ♪ >> right now i'm thrilled to be joined we the king of detroit, the king of the shrine tonight. kid rock, it's great to see you, man. i'm so inspired by your dedication to raising money for so many people who need it. times are just so, so tough. why is it important for you to be a part of cnn heroes tonight? >> just being a part of another good thing, i guess. it's my little ploy to maybe get into heaven one day. >> do you think it will work? i think you're on your way? >> i've been fortunate and blessed to be able to do what i do and i've had a lot of support throughout the years and have had a pretty successful career and woke up one day and realized i could give back and maybe make a difference in some people's lives. it really makes you feel good inside. it started off with all the stuff we were doing for the military and snowballed from there. i don't see any end in sight anytime soon and hopefully we can keep doing good things. >> and you love to tour, so long

as you get to play rock 'n' roll and donate some of the funds -- >> everybody wins. >> it's a win-win situation. and as you've traveled across the country on your care tour, where charity is such a big part of what you're doing, what are you hearing from people as you're talking to the crowds? >> just meeting the families, i've been trying to donate through organizations where can meet the people and touch the families of the situations that are troublesome in each city, and just meeting the people has been a -- it's mind blowing. it almost takes stuff out of you. i've got to take a nap before the show, because it's so emotionally draining when you put your hands on these people and shake their hands and hear about their stories, a man whose wife took off on him, so they went to a homeless shelter. and cancer seems to be the big one, wherever you go. as you know, there's just millions and millions of stories. i've only touched on a few of them in each city and it's just -- you know, it's uplifting, at the same time, to see these people that still got

the gal to get out there and go at it and make the best out of a bad situation. and it makes us wake up and look in the mirror and not bitch. >> perspective is so important. thank you so much, kid rock. you want to go to kidrock.com so you can find more about his terrific foundation. and right now i want to send it to the great j.r. martinez in our social media suite. >> i'm here with the lovely lady who needs no introduction. this is miley cyrus, and unfortunately she has no coat on, so she's shivering. >> i know, i'm shivering, it's a little cold. >> i was like, it was warm earlier and now it's dropped down. so you've been tweeting all day, right, @mileycyrus about this event. you are presenting tonight, but why be a part of this event this evening? >> i think it's just so important to celebrate, you know, the people that are doing good, because you know the more that people are rewarded and people see what they are doing, it's going to inspire others.

and i think mostly, you know, the one i'm presenting for is a 9-year-old girl who's done so many amazing things. and i think it will inspire kids out there not to get down because you can make a difference in your own community, right in your own home. you can change the world slowly by starting where you are right now. >> absolutely. talk about going to another country and making a difference, you teamed up with the starkey foundation to help kids over in haiti. tell us more about that. >> it's amazing. when i knew i was going there, i knew we were going to be giving hearing aids, but i didn't think i would be doing it myself. you fit the molds and you're the first voice that these kids have ever heard. so you get to hear them start talking, and it's amazing. especially when you get the moms who haven't been able to communicate with their kids and you listen to them singing and dances with their kids, it's amazing, and the most rewarding thing you can do. >> that's amazing. off big following, miley, and you really have that platform to really inspire the people that follow you on twitter or

facebook or in the world all around the place. you say, let's get involved. and all the time, it doesn't have to be something that directly affects us. it can be something that indirectly affects us. >> i think it's important, what i do with my charity, get your good on, telling people that it starts at home. that's what i think people don't understand. you know, i'm really lucky. i get to go to haiti and travel and go to all these places, but it all starts right in your community. so i think it's instilling this in kids and have them understand why it's so important. >> you guys heard it from miley cyrus, get your good on. she's here tonight, she's presenting. she has a busy night and she's tweeting it up. thank you for taking the time to be here. i know you want to get inside and get warm. so thanks for stopping by. a.j., back to you, man. >> warm that young woman back up. looking at our countdown clock, about 20 minutes left before "cnn heroes: an all-star tribute" fires up. still so many more big stars to come. have you ever wondered how exactly we pull off of this star-studded event for all of our top ten nominees?

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welcome back to this special edition of "showbiz tonight," "showbiz tonight @ cnn heroes." i'm a.j. hammer on the red carpet just outside the shrine

auditorium in los angeles. let's take another look at the countdown clock. here we are about 15 minutes from the 2011 "cnn heroes: an all-star tribute," saluting everyday people who are changing the world. and i have a very special cohost here tonight. i am thrilled that "dancing with the stars" champ j.r. martinez is right there holding things down tonight at the social media suite. j.r.? >> thank you, a.j. thank you, a.j. i am here with the lovely, lovely holly robinson peete in the social media suite. i've been seeing you working really hard, encouraging all of the stars coming through here to tweet and do facebook updates for us. so thank you for that hard work as well, but what's your big social media message, would you say? >> well, social media, j.r., used for good can be very good. and tonight there are some people here doing some extraordinary things and we want to get the message about their charities out. the service that they're doing, the amazing philanthropic endeavors that they're doing. and the way to do that is to

tweet out, with the cnnheroes hashtag about the work they're doing and the people we're meeting tonight. i get starstruck here, not just by you, mr. winner, but by all of these heroes and the work they do. >> tonight definitely is about heroes, we're highlighting a lot of charities and great organizations that help people, but you have done that has well. you started your own organization called the hollyrod foundation, tell us more about that and what inspired you to start this organization. >> hollyrod was started about 13 or 14 years ago, because my father was the original gordon on "sesame street." when he was in his 40s, he got parkinson's disease and it destroyed his career as an ability to make money. we started it that. cut to about five years later, our oldest son diagnosed with autism. what happens with autism is families struggled under the weight of trying to care for these kids. so hollyrod does compassionate

care for families affected by autism and parkinson's. >> that's amazing. you've been with cnn heroes for a while now. you've done a lot of things with cnn heroes. >> they can't rid of me. >> they can't get rid of us. i was here last year and i'm back again, but why is this so important to you, holly? >> it's so important because these are people who saw a need and filled it. filled some hole that was there. not because they wanted to come here to some glamorous red carpet, but because they saw a need in their community and they decided to do something about it. and i cannot wait to see them be celebrated. i am a cnn heroes groupie, i am, and i love the fact that i follow them around. i know what everybody does. i stalk them on the red carpet, and talking to them in person and offering them my help. but in the cnn social suite that i'm hosting tonight, it's a perfect marriage of my cnn groupieness and my love of social media. >> well, speaking of that social media that you're working over there, you're getting everybody tweeting on facebook, we'll let you get back to that, we've got a lot of work to do over there.

>> #cnnheroes, everybody, and tweet me @hollyrp. >> all right, sweetheart. thank you -- look at that, the benefits of being here. >> we want to toss this now to a.j.. >> doesn't she look beautiful? let me toss it over to kareen wynter, who's with one of our presenters tonight, an nfl great. kareen? >> hi, there, a.j. there's so much action going on all around me here on the red carpet. i have a special guest, super bowl champ kurt warner, so excited to have you with us. how excited are you about the big night ahead? >> i'm extremely excited. what a great event to celebrate cnn heroes that are all around us. >> and you'll also be presenting. you'll be taking that stage. >> i will. it's neat. it was an honor to sit down with the heroes that i get a chance to introduce and to get to know what they're all about. and again, like i said, it's just an inkling of the people who are around this country doing amazing things. i was honored to be able to sit with the canales family and

enjoy what they're doing and support them. >> and tell me about the foundation that's dear to your heart, the kurt warner foundation with your lovely wife, brenda. why was that cause so important for you to take on? >> the big thing is, just like so many of these people, it's about helping other people. and however and in whatever way we can do that, we want to do that. that's why we started our foundation. we came to realize, it always takes somebody giving you a chance and giving you an opportunity to get to where i'm at today and where you're at today. so we thought, if we're in the position to give someone else a second chance or another opportunity, we want to do that. and that's the reason we started our foundation. >> kurt, that's really what it's all about. one individual acting and inspiring so many others out there. and that's really the message tonight. it's such a pleasure talking to you. have fun tonight. a big night ahead. there you have it. a.j., back to you. >> all right, kareen, thank you so much. look at this. we're just minutes away now from the big event, "cnn heroes: an all-star tribute." and this has really taken an

army of talented people to pull off this magical night. the celebrities, the rehearsals, the frenzy! well, next, you don't want to miss this. we're giving you an exclusive inside look at what it really takes to bring you "cnn heroes." you're watching a special edition of "showbiz tonight," "showbiz tonight @ cnn heroes." when i go through suburbia, america, everybody's trying to hold their head up with pride. these people, they tell their neighbors they're fine. they'd sooner go in the house and starve. how much do you mow me right now? >> i owe about $800. >> and the situation is getting worse. they need food. they feed help with their utilities. this is 2011 in america. we should be helping each other. sam sal dimiceli and my mission is to help my fellow americans who have fallen on hard times.

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welcome back to the special live edition of "showbiz tonight." "showbiz tonight" at "cnn hero." we are now just minutes away. look at the countdown clock. less than ten minutes. an all-star tribute. i want to fwo backstage. "showbiz tonight's" kareen wynter is amidst all the of the really positive energy back there. kareen? >> a.j., i don't know how i did it. i just made me way from the red carpet to backstage. my heart, it's beating so fast. it's not just because i sprinted all the way back here in my five-inch heels.

no, it's because i'm so excited for what's about to happen right out there on stage at the shrine auditorium. you know, i've covered a million awards shows that celebrate athletes, entertainers. what i love about tonight is that the roles, they're reversed. tonight the stars are honoring the selfless, everyday people, a.j., dhachanging the world. if you're not truly inspired by the end of the night, you may need to get yourself checked out. >> fifty cent told me you're going to have to check your pulse if you're not inspired. it's just an honor for me to be here and be a part of "showbiz tonight" at "cnn heroes" for yet another year. the thing i've always wondered, how are they able to make this event bigger and better year after year. >> reporter: a.j., i was actually wondering the same thing. but i did some investigating. hey, i got the scoop from a very special insider. watch this. >> it's been three years since i

was actually up on that stage. i never really had a chance to see what all goes on behind the scenes. i'm doc henley. this is your backstage pass to "cnn heroes: an all-star tribute." we're here backstage at the historic shrine auditorium in los angeles. this place is massive. for a show like "cnn heroes" there's hundreds and hundreds of people that pull together months and months of work to make a two-hour show happen. in this room right here we've got media. we've got pr. >> here we go. rehearse it again. >> production going on behind the scenes. this is where the magic happens. this is the first time "cnn heroes" has put on a live show. how does that make a difference. >> you're microseconds away from what could be a complete and utter disaster. you've got to get it first time around. >> you never know what's going to happen first time around. that make it fun and interesting and exciting. >> all the honries, they've become so tight-knit.

these guys' lives are about to change. what was it like looking out when you were practicing at all the celebrities' faces that are going to attend this tomorrow. >> i love your show. you're really pretty. i don't know who you are but i can't wait to meet you. >> they make me cry. >> they're out doing this work for what they believe in. then they get here. >> 2011 cnn hero of the year -- >> reporter: a.j.? >> all that leading to what you're about to see just minutes from now. but it's not just about what's going on here tonight. you can make a difference right now. >> that's right, a.j. all you have to do, head on over to cnnheroes.com and click the "donate" tab. your donation, no matter how big, how small, it's going to go directly to the nonprofit of the hero of your choice. tonight thanks to google, you won't pay transaction fees. they're picking up the tab. go ahead. do it. donate now. >> it's so cool they're waiving all those fees.

we're less than five minutes away from the most spectacular event of the year. don't go anywhere. you're watching a special edition of "showbiz tonight." "showbiz tonight" at "cnn heroes." -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com tdd# 1-800-345-2550 there are atm fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 account service fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 and the most dreaded fees of all, hidden fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 at charles schwab, you won't pay fees on top of fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 no monthly account service fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 no hidden fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 and we rebate every atm fee. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 so talk to chuck

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( laughing ) it's actually a pretty good day when you consider. that's great. well, we're just seconds away from the start of "cnn heroes: an all-star tribute." i promise you it will be a night jam packed with hollywood's biggest stars. but, of course, it's really about the inspiring stories of our top ten cnn heroes, honries tonight. eddie ka paalless, taryn davis, sal dimiceli, derrek kayongo, diane latiker, robin lim, patrice millet, bruno serato, richard st. denis and amy stokes. and the time has finally aroo d arooied.