Efren Penaflorida

Efren Penaflorida, a man with a noble cause won the CNN Hero of the Year award at Kodak Theater in Hollywood, California today on November 22. He is an educator from Cavite City who started Dynamic Teen Company, a pushcart classroom which provides education to poor unschooled children. From all over the world he got most Internet votes in a seven week poll which earned him the award. More than 2.75 million votes were cast.

CNN awarded $100,000 for Efren’s foundation along with a trophy. Through the award CNN acknowledge the heroes around the world and now its third year of the event. At the conclusion of the event CNN’s news anchor Anderson Cooper announced the name of Efren as the winner of CNN Hero of the Year award. Efren said,

“Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need,”

He emphasize that everyone must try to be hero for others.

In his acceptance speech he said,

“So to each and every person inside in this theater and for those who are watching at home, the hero in you is waiting to be unleashed. Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve. As I always tell to my co-volunteers… you are the change that you dream as I am the change that I dream and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be.”

CNN honored the top ten heroes with a documentary tribute and 25,000. In the event the top ten nominees were presented by celebrities like Nicole Kidman, Neil Patrick Harris, Kate Hudson, Pierce Brosnan, Eva Mendes, Dwayne Johnson, Randy Jackson, Greg Kinnear, George Lopez and Julia Louis Dreyfus.