Exchanging Gifts

Anderson Cooper humbled by 2009 CNN Hero of the Year Efren Peñaflorida
By Richard Huff
Daily News TV Editor

Tuesday, November 24th 2009, 4:00 AM


Shearer/WireImage
Efren Penaflorida (r.) wins 2009 CNN Hero of the Year award after he created a program to educate youngsters that they have choices other than being in street gangs.
Anderson Cooper was skeptical about the "CNN Hero of the Year" concept when it launched three years ago - but now, not so much.

In fact, just the opposite. He says the show - and the process - is inspiring.

"When I heard it was an awards show, anything like that, by nature, I find, threatens to be cheesy," said Cooper, who hosted Sunday's taping of this year's show, which airs Thursday at 9 p.m. "But this is about making a change in people's lives, and celebrating people who are making changes."

Efren Penaflorida of the Philippines is CNN's 2009 Hero of the Year. He created a program to educate youngsters that they have choices other than being in street gangs. Also honored Sunday was Queens resident Jorge Munoz, a school bus driver who helps feed the hungry.

Cooper said he can get choked up just listening to the stories. Now, three years into the process, hearing about people helping others has changed his life.

"First of all, it makes me think I'm not good enough," Cooper said. "I need to do more. It definitely inspired me to do other things, to donate, to increase donations."

The show was shot at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles before an audience of 4,000. Among the celebrities on hand were Kate Hudson, Eva Mendes, Neil Patrick Harris and Randy Jackson.

For Cooper, the gig was a nice diversion from his nightly job as anchor of CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," which airs at 10.

He's also done non-news occasionally on the syndicated show "Live! With Regis & Kelly," where he's filled in for Regis Philbin alongside Kelly Ripa.

"It's like exercising different muscles," he said of hosting. "Working with Kelly is a highlight of my week whenever I do it. She's incredibly talented and incredibly smart."

Cooper said he also likes doing things that take him outside his comfort zone.

"Years ago, when speaking before an audience, my mouth would get dry," he said.

Now, he's worked through his anxiety of speaking to big groups, and enjoys hosting the "Hero" event.

"From the viewers who do watch, we get a huge reaction," he said. "You really don't see anything like this on TV. The whole family can watch on Thanksgiving. It really does inspire people."

That said, Cooper thinks neither the awards show itself nor the short segments profiling nominees throughout the year are a way to offset the drumbeat of bad stories that permeate the news.

"It's interesting. People always say they want more positive news stories, and then tend not to watch positive stories," he said. "There's a disconnect between what they say and what they watch. [But it's] important not to look just for the bad things that are happening. These people [the nominees] are making news in a different way. It's not the kind of news that's reported on a lot, but it certainly is real life."