Pepe Fanjul, Jr. and his family have been recognized by the Western Palm Beach County Farm Bureau as the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) 2016 Farm Family of the Year. The award was presented on November 9 by John L. Hundley, Chairman of the Board of the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida, at Ray’s Heritage Packing House in Belle Glade.

The award is given to farm families who exhibit excellence in their commitment to agriculture and civic engagement in the Glades region of western Palm Beach County, where the Fanjul family has been farming since 1960.

The family’s companies, Fanjul Corp. and Florida Crystals Corporation, produce sugarcane, rice and sweetcorn, throughout the Everglades Agricultural Area, which is one of the world’s most productive and sustainable agricultural basins.  In addition to providing thousands of jobs for EAA farmers, the Fanjul family has been an integral part of the community for decades through their charitable support, particularly their efforts to improve access to high-quality education and to reduce hunger.

“Everywhere you go in the Glades communities and throughout Palm Beach County, you see the Fanjul name,” said County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay, who attended the award presentation. “From schools for children that need a second chance to food banks to all sorts of education and charitable programs, they’re everywhere.”

For instance, the Fanjul family founded New Hope Charities, a grassroots nonprofit that provides services for children and families in western Palm Beach County ranging from daycare and health care to food distribution. The Fanjul family also founded two charter schools in Pahokee, Everglades Preparatory Academy and Glades Academy, to increase educational opportunities for families in the Glades.

“We’re really humbled,” said Andres Fanjul upon receiving the award, echoing the sentiments of the rest of the Fanjul family. “It’s an incredible opportunity. When I read all the families that have won this award in the past, it’s an honor to be included as part of that group.”

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The fundraiser supports two charter schools that were founded by Emilia Fanjul.  Everglades Preparatory Academy is a charter high school in Pahokee, Florida, and Glades Academy is a charter elementary-middle school, also in Pahokee.  Emilia Fanjul serves as chairwoman of the board of directors of both schools and has a passion for helping the children in western Palm Beach County.  Mrs. Fanjul told the Wall Street Journal of the schools’ focus on the children, “we mentor them, we nurture them and we educate them.”  Read more here.

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Pepe Fanjul proudly accompanied his wife Emilia Fanjul to the
Vanidades Icon of Style event in New York last Thursday.   Pepe
Fanjul was there to support Emilia as she was honored as Vanidades’
Icon of Style of Philanthropy on September 27 at the
Spanish-language magazine’s annual Icon of Style Awards.

Deborah Norville, anchor of TV’s Inside Edition, presented Emilia
with the recognition during a night of celebration at the Mandarin
Hotel in New York City.  More than 10 years ago, Emilia founded two
charter schools in rural western Palm Beach County to give parents a
choice in their children’s education.  Emilia serves as chairwoman
of the two schools — Everglades Preparatory Academy high school and
Glades Academy elementary school — in Pahokee.

“I’m a proud husband tonight,” said a smiling Pepe Fanjul, who is
vice chairman, president and chief operating officer of Florida
Crystals Corporation, a company whose sugar operations are also
located in the western communities.  “I’ve watched Emilia work so
tirelessly for the past decade to make sure the children in her
schools receive the best education possible and do it in a safe and
nuturing environment.”

Glades Academy earned an A rating in the last school year and was
the only elementary school in the western area to do so.  The
elementary school also achieved Annual Year Progress (AYP) the last
three out of four years.  The charter schools are partially
underwritten through an annual fundraiser at Palm Beach’s Café
Boulud.  Pepe Fanjul is an annual benefactor, supporting his wife’s
passion and helping the children in the communities excel.

“I’m grateful to Vanidades for the recognition as an Icon of
Philanthropy,” said Emilia Fanjul.  “I believe a quality education
is a fundamental right all children should have.  The time I spend
working to give the students at my schools a better education is
completely rewarding to me individually.”

Emilia achieved a long-time goal in December 2011 when she cut the
ribbon at the grand opening of the brand new Glades Academy school
campus.  Pepe Fanjul and the Fanjul family’s company, Florida
Crystals Corporation, donated the land where the new school was built.

Other Vanidades’ Icon of Style winners include designers Carolina
Herrera, Angel Sanchez, Sara Beltran and Gabriela Moya; Polo player
Nacho Figueras, musician Ruben Blades; and artist Ruben Toledo.

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Pepe Fanjul has been closely involved in the school for 10 years.  Glades Academy Elementary charter school was founded by Pepe’s wife Emilia Fanjul in 2001 to offer children and parents in the rural communities of western Palm Beach County a wider range of school choice and options for education.  Emilia Fanjul serves as chairwoman of the board of the Pahokee school.

The results of the 2010 – 2011 school year show that Glades Academy Elementary school is excelling at both the state and federal levels.  The rating system is part of the state of Florida’s A+ Plan, while Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, is part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.  Glades Academy was also the highest rated elementary school in the communities of western Palm Beach County.

Emilia expressed her excitement about the dual achievements, saying, “It is thrilling to reach an A rating and AYP; it shows just how far Glades Academy charter school has grown in its first 10 years. I’m so proud of the nurturing, safe environment our teachers and administrators have created for the students to be able to reach their highest potential.  Our staff has done a phenomenal job, and we will keep building on this for the future.”

Pepe Fanjul and Emilia Fanjul have been large sponsors of the school since it was established.  They are contributors at the school’s annual benefits, which are also hosted by Emilia.  Florida Crystals Corporation (of which Pepe Fanjul is vice chairman of the board, chief operating officer and president) also donated the land where Glades Academy built its brand new school.  The school will open this coming school year (2011 – 2012) and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including internet access in all the classrooms and interactive board that will assist students by allowing them to take advantage of the latest educational tools.

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“My family and our company, Florida Crystals, strongly believe in supporting the communities and helping to fund the work of community-based organizationslike Liga Contra el Cancer that give tremendous assistance to those in need,” said J. Pepe Fanjul, Florida Crystals’ vice chairman of the board, chief operating officer and president. “For more than three decades, Liga Contra el Cancer has provided quality medical care free of charge to Floridians who could not otherwise afford it.  We are happy to be associated with an organization that does so much for so many people.”

Florida Crystals’ contribution will be presented at the non-profits well-known annual telethon on June 5, 2011 at the Miami-Dade Fair Expo Center.  The telethon, which the charity says is the cornerstone of their annual fund raising drive, broadcasts from 5 p.m. to midnight and features singers, actors, bands and check presentations.  For the 11th year, the popular Spanish-language television station Telemundo will give seven hours of prime time, which will mean Liga Contra el Cancer will reach more than half a million households.

Liga Contra el Cancer was founded in Miami in 1975 as a community-based, not-for-profit organization providing free medical care to Cancer patients in need. More than 350 board-certifiedphysiciansvolunteer their services to the not-for-profit organization.

Florida Crystals Corporation has been an active member of South Florida’s community since 1960.  The Palm Beach-based sugar producer celebrates its 50^th anniversary this year.  Starting from humble beginnings, the company has grown with its subsidiary, American Sugar Refining, the world’s largest sugar refining company, to be a global producer of sugar.  Florida Crystals Corporation is led by Alfonso Fanjul and J. Pepe Fanjul.

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