Gerald Sprayregen says philanthropy is rewarding, but more importantly, he hopes the youth touched by his work find inspiration to one day follow in his footsteps. This is true for students at Miami Dade College too, where he recently gave $100,000 to create an emergency fund.
In 2007, Gerald founded the Sprayregen Family Foundation Inc., which works to improve youth literacy and provide care for abused and neglected children. Some of the foundation’s flagship programs include sanctuary housing for abused and neglected children in West Palm Beach, a poetry and photography contest for high school students, and the delivery of books to children at hospitals across the country.
“Each project that our team undertakes is something that is very important to me and fills me with great pride,” said Sprayregen, who is also an award-winning poet, photographer and filmmaker. “What I am most excited about are the projects that we will be doing in the years to come.”
This fall, The Sprayregen Family Foundation donated $100,000 to the Miami Dade College Foundation to create the American Dream Emergency Financial Assistance Program, which ensures students stay in school despite financial obstacles that may arise. MDC serves a diverse population, with 65 percent of students who are low-income and nearly half of them live in poverty.
“We believe this will assist thousands of students who might otherwise be forced to withdraw from MDC,” said Sprayregen who was drawn to MDC because of the work of President Dr. Eduardo Padrón. “Dr. Eduardo Padrón is one of the true great presidents of any institution in the country. He’s truly remarkable and the very fact that he came here as a young, immigrant boy just fulfills what the American Dream is all about.”
Through his service and philanthropy, Sprayregegn has impacted the lives of many youth, and his legacy at Miami Dade College is sure to benefit students for years to come.
For more information, please visit www.mdcfoundation.com