2012 Do Something Awards: Winner’s Released

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DoSomething.org and VH1 have announced this year’s winners for the 2012 Do Something Awards. The award show was hosted by “New Girl” stars Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield and Lamorne Morris. Each year the Do Something Awards aims to honor and celebrate the nations best young world-changers and “do-ers” in their field, cause, or issue. 

Celebrities such as Ben Affleck,  Kristen Bell, Nick Cannon, Joel McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Giuliana Rancic, Hope Solo and Will.i.am were on-hand to receive awards in a variety of categories from ‘Do Something TV Star’ to ‘Do Something Athlete’ for all they have done to inspire young people.

In addition to the already star studded event, there was also a special tribute by Beyonce and performances by Flo Rida, fun. and house-band Kids These Days. Several of the celebrities at the event also made artwork backstage. You can bid on it at http://www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/dosomething until September 6. All proceeds will help Do Something reach more great young people!

The winners for this year’s 2012 Do Something Award include:

Katia Gomez  (24) of San Leandro, California received a grand prize of $100,000 for Educate2Envision. Katia grew up in a single parent home where her mother always found time and money for Katia’s education. While on a volunteer trip to Honduras, the third poorest country in Latin America, Katia saw the effects of a young population in extreme poverty, where almost half of the population is 16 years and younger and over half of all Honduras survive on only $2 a day. Katia took her own passion for education and created Educate2Envision to provide education for youth of Honduras, and show the opportunities that education can bring. Educate2Envision is working in three remote communities in Honduras where she has brought secondary education to over 450 students.

Full list of awards include:

• Athlete: Hope Solo
• Comedian: Joel McHale
• Couple: Mariah Carey & Nick Cannon
• Facebook: Ben Affleck & The Eastern Congo Initiative
• Music Artist: Will.I.Am
• Style: Giuliana Rancic
• TV Star, Female: Lea Michele
• TV Star, Male: Cory Monteith
• TV Show: The Big Bang Theory
• Reality TV Show: Dancing with the Stars
• Movie Star, Female: Emma Stone
• Movie Star, Male: Josh Hutcherson
• Film: Invisible Children Kony 2012
• City: Miami, FL
• Twitter: Kristen Bell

Nancy Lublin, CEO and Chief Old Person of DoSomething.org, commented on the award saying,

“There are no losers at the Do Something Awards – only very exceptional people doing amazing things.  We couldn’t be more proud to be a part of it.”

Tom Calderone, President, VH1 echoed Lubin’s sentiments stating,

“It was so inspiring to see this mash-up of incredible people from the worlds of music, movies, television and comedy sharing their personal experiences about what’s really important to them in funny yet poignant ways.  I think our viewers will agree that the show on TV and online was another signature pop culture moment for VH1, and I hope that it inspires them to, well, do something, for their social circles.”

The nominees for the 2012 Do Something Awards will be rewarded with a $10,000 community grant and continued support from DoSomething.org. Nominees include Meg Bourne, Katia Gomez, Manyang Reath Kher, Seth Maxwell., and Danny Mendoza.

• Meg Bourne (22) is from Joplin, MO.  At age 19, Meg created Art Feeds to promote creative healing and encourage development in children who were disabled or had experienced trauma. On May 22nd of 2011 Meg’s life changed forever, when at 5:41 pm one of the largest tornadoes in America’s history ripped through Meg’s hometown of Joplin, Missouri. The EF-4 tornado left a six-mile path of devastation with 162 people dead and 7,500 homes destroyed. Two children from Meg’s art classes were killed and Meg lost her own home, as well as the Art Feeds van from where she worked. The Art Feeds programs were needed in Joplin more than ever before and Meg has now worked with over 800 volunteers and 8,000 children.

• Manyang Reath Kher (23) is from Richmond, VA.   Manyang’s earliest memories are of war, dead bodies, and of his own uncle trying to save his life. At age 3 Manyang became a refugee of the Sudanese civil war. He is one of The Lost Boys, a group of 20,000 boys who were displaced and orphaned. Manyang’s father was one of the two and a half million people killed and he was separated from his mother and sister. For 13 years he lived in refugee camps along the Sudanese and Ethiopian border, where homelessness, hunger, fear, and abuse were part of his everyday life. At age 17 Manyang was brought to American where he learned English and eventually enrolled in college. He started Humanity Helping Sudan to improve the lives of Sudanese refugees and attempt to battle the problems of an entire displaced population. Humanity Helping Sudan runs on the ground programs at refugee camps where they provide fishing nets, agricultural programs, and community gardens, reaching 40,000 displaced people.

• Seth Maxwell (24) is from Los Angeles, CA.  Seth was a 19-year-old acting student in Los Angeles when a brief meeting with a friend who’d just returned from Africa changed the course of his life forever. Upon learning that almost one billion people lack access to clean water and that water-borne illnesses account for more than 80% of all global disease, he gave up acting to focus on water education. The Thirst Project is a movement of young people who are raising awareness of and bringing solutions to the global water crisis. Combining outreach and water well implementation, The Thirst Project has completed 788 freshwater development projects across the globe and reached 250,000 American students with its eye-opening educational programs.

• Danny Mendoza (23) is from Chino, CA.  While in college, Danny learned that his 9 year old cousin, Roger, was living in a car. After lots of maneuvering Danny helped him move from the Honda to a house, but was deeply disturbed by the little control Roger had over his own situation. Danny took action and created Together We Rise, a youth led organization dedicated to running programs that not only bring a sense of normalcy and stability to children in foster care, but also allow foster children to make their own choices. Through programs like music lessons, mentoring, sports and athletics, resume building, and job-readiness, Together We Rise provides the resources for foster kids to prepare for success at age 18 when they are kicked out of the foster care system, and left to fend for themselves. With the help of Danny and Together We Rise they have reached 3,000 foster care youth through these programs, providing a better opportunity for long-term success.