Friday, January 29, 2010

CNN Heroes: Saving Haiti

CNN Press Release: CNN’s Anderson Cooper and several CNN Heroes will come together for a special hour about courage, sacrifice and extraordinary personal commitment to help the people in Haiti. In the days following the devastating earthquake there have been brave and selfless acts of kindness and heroism throughout the country and CNN is dedicating this hour to acknowledge and honor those people. The hour will also follow up with some familiar faces: heroes who were honored by CNN’s annual initiative CNN Heroes and are in Haiti now working to rebuild the country. The special will air on Friday, January 29th on CNN and CNN International at 11pm ET.

Anderson Cooper’s reports on both tireless search and rescue teams as well as Haitians who suffered so much but who went on to help others while maintaining their resilient spirit. CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta will profile surgeons Jerry and Marlon Bitar, twin Haitian brothers who run a hospital in Haiti with minimum supplies, yet they are determined to save lives and rebuild their country. CNN international correspondent Ivan Watson will profile Francois Rozenvil Gertha, a Haitian UNICEF therapist working with the children of Haiti on what is being done to treat the long-term emotional turmoil that follows a human disaster of this magnitude. Before the earthquake, Haiti had an astonishing 380,000 orphans, a number that has greatly increased since. Gary Tuchman, CNN correspondent, introduces us to Jean Robert Cadet, a man committed to rescuing children who have been victimized in Haiti.

In addition to Haiti’s everyday heroes, the special hour will also revisit CNN Heroes who have stepped in and are helping out in the relief and rescue efforts in Haiti. CNN Heroes is in its fourth year of spotlighting everyday citizens accomplishing extraordinary deeds. Doc Hendley, 2009 CNN Top Ten Hero, whose charity Wine to Water brings sustainable water purification systems to countries in need, is distributing the much needed water to the citizens of Haiti. Tad Agoglia and his First Response Team, honored in 2008’s CNN Heroes Tribute Show, will bring their recovery equipment and will be going on missions throughout the city. Boby Duval’s group L’Athletique d’Haiti‘s after-school soccer program, featured in 2007’s CNN Heroes, was created to feed and tutor the children. The soccer field is now a makeshift home to displaced Haitians who are encamped in Cité Soleil.

The special hour is produced by Anderson Cooper 360° executive producer David Doss and CNN Heroes executive producer Kelly Flynn. Executive producer Charlie Moore from Haiti and producer Chuck Hadad in New York also contribute to this hour. The special will re-air on Saturday and Sunday, January 30 and 31st at 8 and 11pm ET and 2am ET.

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