CNN announced today that it will be airing a special edition of 360 on July 5th on the Gulf Coast…

Anderson Cooper and a team of CNN correspondents will share inspiring stories of unsung heroes from the Gulf Coast region in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina during a Wednesday, July 5, special. In addition, country music superstars Faith Hill and Tim McGraw will join Cooper for a revealing tour of St. Bernard Parish and the lower 9th Ward on the same day of their benefit concert in New Orleans.

The special, “American Heroes: Giving Back to the Gulf,” airs during Anderson Cooper 360° on July 5, beginning at 10 p.m. (ET)

CNN’s correspondents will report on everyday people performing extraordinary acts of kindness and courage to help those whose lives were interrupted by Hurricane Katrina. Segments include:

· Correspondent Gary Tuchman talking with a Mississippi man who, in spite of his own loss, helped establish an animal rescue organization headquartered in his own home;

· Correspondent Randi Kaye introducing viewers to a 26-year-old master’s degree student in New Orleans who put his studies on hold to help Katrina victims rebuild their homes;

· New Orleans-based correspondent Susan Roesgen sharing a piece about a Dallas-based charity that went to Nike and other corporations for donations for an athletic department in Pass Christian, Miss.; and

· Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen profiling a young leukemia patient who is also an avid fisherman and whose dock was rebuilt after Katrina by a group of New York City firefighters.

The special, part of CNN’s continuing commitment to covering the Katrina-ravaged Gulf Coast, will include a look at progress made in the region since Katrina as well as a realistic look at what needs to be done. Also during the special, Hill and McGraw will sit down with Cooper backstage at their New Orleans’ “Soul 2 Soul II” concert, the proceeds of which, including ticket and merchandise sales, will go to Hill and McGraw’s charity, Neighbor’s Keeper Foundation. Parts of the concert will be broadcast live during Anderson Cooper 360°.