Gloria Estefan was born in Havana, Cuba in 1957. Her family fled to the U.S after dictator Fidel Castro rose to power. She became the front woman for the band Miami Sound Machine, in which she achieved fame.
Estefan is an outspoken leader against dictatorships in South America and her native Cuba. She often has protested the Castro Regime, and was even called upon by former President Bush to serve as a public member of the United States Delegation to the 47th General Assembly to the United Nations. She has additionally been presented with the International Women’s Forum “Hall of Fame” award and was the recipient of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s 2001 Medallion of Excellence for Community Service.
Aside from her undeniable talent, Gloria Estefan is a distinguished strong woman. Throughout her career she has dedicated time, money and effort into various causes. For example, after being close to paralysis due to a spinal cord injury, she became inspired to fund generously to paralysis research. She donated a million dollars to the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. She was also named Director for a project to create the Lois Pope LIFE Center, which managed to raise 40 million dollars and further continue Spinal Cord Injury Research.
Her biggest contributions include creating the Gloria Estefan Foundation, which is an umbrella foundation that promotes proper health, and most importantly education development. Estefan hosted Cavalli’s 2011 Spring Collection in Miami. The proceeds from the benefit were given to Gloria’s Foundation and renewed efforts to reach disadvantaged children through education and opportunity.
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Estefania Pugliese is a communications intern for the South Florida Office. She is a Mount Holyoke student, and Posse Scholar. She is currently studying Economics and International Relations.