MIAMI, Nov. 29, 2016 – Miami Dade College Foundation has been awarded $2.25 million in gifts since the receipt of Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón’s Presidential Medal of Freedom from U.S. President Barack Obama. The gifts were presented to Dr. Padrón this morning at a private breakfast for past inductees of the MDC Alumni Hall of Fame at Greenberg Traurig, P. A. in downtown Miami.
A $1 million gift from The Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Foundation will establish the Eduardo J. Padrón Innovation Fund honoring Dr. Padrón’s decades of work in ensuring educational opportunity for all. The gift will support MDC faculty in the delivery of highly interactive and innovative education programs that prepare the next generation of change makers who, like Dr. Padrón, will address societal challenges and make a difference through their leadership, scholarship, and civic engagement.
At today’s event, Dr. Padrón was also surprised by two more gifts to MDC: a $250,000 gift from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for the Innovation Fund, and another $1 million gift from Badia Spices Inc. to establish the Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón Presidential Medal of Freedom Scholarship for deserving students with financial need.
“President Padrón has made enormous contributions to Miami Dade College and to South Florida over the years, making MDC a national model for access and inclusion in education,” said Louis Wolfson, III, trustee of The Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Foundation. “The College continues to innovate, and we are delighted to establish a fund in his honor to enhance our education programs and create more change makers for our community.”
To support the Eduardo J. Padrón Innovation Fund, visit www.mdcfoundation.com
For more information about the MDC Foundation, please contact Alyssa Zamora, director of communications, 305-237-3331, azamora@mdc.edu.
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About Miami Dade College Foundation
Founded in 1965, the Miami Dade College Foundation raises essential private funds for Miami Dade College to pay for student scholarships, STEM education, arts and culture, entrepreneurship, work force training, and other programs that elevate our community and nation. In 2015-2016, the MDC Foundation distributed more than $13.7 million to benefit the students, programs and operations of MDC. The College has a long history of responding to the needs of the community with degree programs and special events, both preparing the work force required by local businesses and offering the broader community access to world-class cultural and educational programming. Visit MDCFoundation.com.