Watch Yohannes on CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute on Thanksgiving Night!

CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute
Thanksgiving Night
9 pm EST

Ethiopia Reads founder Yohannes Gebregeorgis is one of 10 visionaries honored during CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute, airing in a global broadcast tomorrow night.

Chosen from 4,000 nominees, Yohannes was named a Hero for his work championing literacy for children in Ethiopia. Tune in to watch Yohannes receive an award from Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker, who praises Yohannes for leaving a comfortable life in the United States to pursue a dream of connecting children with books.

The star-studded celebration is hosted by Anderson Cooper and features musical performances by Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera and John Legend (pictured here with Yohannes). Other Hollywood luminaries on hand to salute the CNN Heroes include actors Robert Duvall, Meg Ryan, Cameron Diaz and Hugh Jackman.



The real stars, however, are the Heroes themselves. Yohannes is in great company among the nine other nominees -- all ordinary people doing inspirational work.

Last month, CNN sent a film crew to Ethiopia Reads libraries in Addis Ababa and Awassa. Their moving film will be featured in tomorrow's broadcast and nicely showcases Ethiopia Reads' programs, including the Donkey Mobile Library.

Please watch with us, as we share this moment of celebration with all of you -- our friends, volunteers, donors and supporters across the world.

For a preview, visit:
http://heroes.cnn.com/

Then visit www.ethiopiareads.org to learn more and make a donation in honor of Yohannes, our hero, on this special day.

Wishing you a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving,
Your Friends at Ethiopia Reads

VOTE again for Yohannes as CNN's Top 10 Hero of the Year!

Ethiopia Reads believes that those who read bloom
Please help us bloom
by voting for Yohannes Gebregeorgis: Top Ten CNN Hero of the Year

Click to VOTE AGAIN

Voting only takes a second, and you can vote multiple times! Tell your friends, family, workmates, schoolmates, book club members and neighbors to vote, vote and vote again!

Voting continues until November 20 at 6 am. The CNN Hero with the most votes will be honored as Hero of the Year -- and will receive $100,000. Think of all the books and library materials that would buy!


We need your help to keep Yohannes' dream alive. Please consider making a donation in honor of Yohannes.

Yohannes and all of the Top 10 Heroes will be honored in a special worldwide broadcast on Thanksgiving night. We'll be watching, and we hope you will, too!

Thanks for your support! We share this excitement with all of you.

Your friends at Ethiopia Reads

Yohannes to appear at Boulder Public Library Thursday, November 13

AUTHOR TALK

Meet Yohannes Gebregeorgis and learn about Ethiopia Reads!

Boulder Public Library
Main Branch
1000 Canyon Road
Thursay, November 13
4:30-5:30 pm

Yohannes to visit Hennepin Country Library in Minneapolis, MN Tuesday, November 25

AUTHOR TALK

Tuesday, November 25
Hennepin County Library
Central Branch
Pholad Hall
300 Nicollet Mall

CNN launched its second annual global search for ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary deeds in February. More than 3,700 nominations were submitted by viewers in 75 countries. CNN's Anderson Cooper announced the 10 honorees Thursday on "American Morning”.
Hennepin Country Library just learned that Yohannes Gebregeorgis was named as one of CNN’s Top Ten Heroes of 2008. In order to attend a special celebration for this year’s honorees, Mr. Gebregeorgis had to reschedule his library visit talk. Come meet him in person on November 25, 2008.

Yohannes Gebregeorgis
Children’s literacy advocate and founder of Ethiopia Reads will speak at Minneapolis Central Library

A native of Ethiopia and children’s literacy advocate, Yohannes Gebregeorgis, will share his personal journey about his work setting up libraries and promoting reading in Ethiopia. Growing up in rural Ethiopia with very little access to books, Yohannes was 19 the first time he picked up a book for pleasure. This experience went on to shape his life as a literacy advocate, children’s book author, and co-founder of Ethiopia Reads.

Yohannes now lives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he organizes the opening of libraries, continues to publish books, and trains library staff.
There will be books for sale following the event.

Yohannes featured in the Rocky Mountain News

Yohannes is featured in Thursday's edition of the Rocky Mountain News, one of two major daily newspapers in Denver.

Read it Here.

Many thanks to write James Meadow for his great story, which chronicles Yohannes' story as well as his visit to Arrowwood Elementary School in Highland Ranch, CO. The visit was arranged by our friend and supporter Mary Beth Henze, a reading specialist at Arrowwood who introduced the school to Ethiopia Reads last year. The school loved learning about Ethiopia Reads -- especially the Donkey Mobile Library -- and launched a fundraising drive that generated $2,800 for Ethiopia Reads.

Please share the story with your friends, and don't forget to vote for Yohannes as CNN's Hero of the Year.