Benjamín León Jr.’s Legacy of Care and Giving

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FIU President Kenneth A. Jessell (right) with CasaCuba Executive Director Lydia “Lili” Betancourt Space, MS ’00 (left), recognizing Benjamín León Jr. (center) for his support at the CasaCuba gift announcement in January 2024.
By Samantha Vargas For over six decades, the León family has dedicated their lives to providing healthcare to the residents of Miami-Dade County. In 1964, Benjamín León Sr. began the family’s legacy in healthcare by opening a small clinic for newly arrived Cuban exiles in Miami. The impact of this decision can be seen on […]

Major gift highlights: Summer 2021

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As the June 30 close of the fiscal year 2020-2021 approaches, the FIU Foundation is excited and grateful to announce it has already surpassed its fundraising goal of $79 million, bringing in $111.9 million in support for the university as of June 25, 2021. This achievement marks the third record-breaking fundraising year in a row […]

Jorge Mas and family make $5 million lead gift to CasaCuba at FIU

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On behalf of the Mas family, Jorge Mas, one of the most prominent Cuban American business leaders in the United States, has made a $5 million lead gift to CasaCuba at Florida International University. A founding member of the CasaCuba Board of Advisors and chairman of the Board and co-founder of MasTec, his gift will support the mission and […]

CasaCuba receives $750,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities

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The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced that CasaCuba has received a $750,000 matching grant, which encourages additional private support. The funding will support the architectural design phase of the state-of-the-art center that will host lectures, academic conferences, community events, and digital and physical exhibitions intended to further the study and public understanding of […]

Knight Foundation contributes $2 million to FIU’s CasaCuba

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The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation followed up its seed funding of FIU’s CasaCuba – an initiative to harness the University’s Cuban cultural and scholarly resources – by announcing a $2 million grant on Monday. “We are honored that the Knight Foundation continues to support FIU in making our dream of CasaCuba a reality,” said […]

Agustín R. Arellano, Sr. and his family donate $1 million to FIU’s CasaCuba

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Local construction business leader and member of the FIU Foundation Board of Directors Agustín R. Arellano, Sr. and his family have donated $1 million to CasaCuba. “Cuba is close to the hearts of so many of us at our FIU and in this community. This is why we have long dreamed of building a home to […]