By Dave Walker
October 01, 2009, 5:59PM
Derrick Tabb, Rebirth Brass Band drummer and founder of The Roots of Musiceducation program in New Orleans, is one of 10 nominees for CNN’s Hero of the Year.
Derrick Tabb of the Rebirth Brass drummer and founder of The Roots of Music program heard that he’d be a finalist for CNN's Hero of the Year award via a phone call Wednesday night. Thursday, Anderson Cooper announced the finalists on CNN.
He receives $25,000 for the honor, and will join the other nominees – who include the founder of a mobile soup kitchen in New York, an Indonesian orphanage operator and a Filipino literacy advocate – at “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute,” to be televised at 8 p.m. November 26.
At that event, one of the 10 will be selected CNN Hero of the Year and will be awarded an additional $100,000.
Public voting for the top prize – won last year by Liz McCartney, cofounder of the St. Bernard Project – begins at 10 p.m. Thursday (October 1) at www.cnn.com/heroes.
Tabb heard that he’d be a finalist via phone call Wednesday night. Thursday, Anderson Cooper announced the finalists on CNN throughout the afternoon and evening.
I’m still very surprised,” Tabb said. “The program is going to benefit, hopefully, by the exposure and recognition. People will know that they have kids out here not trying to get in trouble, who want to do other things.”
Tabb added that the program currently enrolls 106 students, with a waiting list that tops 400.
“I hope everyone in New Orleans votes for me,” he said. The ten finalists were chosen by a panel from more than 9,000 submissions.
Panelists include Kirk Cameron, Masi Oka, Whoopi Goldberg, Phil Jackson, Elton John, Shakira, Tavis Smiley, Ted Turner and others.
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