Fanjul Family, Florida Crystals Contribute $1 Million to Bascom Palmer Eye Institute

The Fanjul family, owners of Florida Crystals Corporation, have pledged a $1 million gift to Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, part of the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine.

Alfonso Fanjul, chairman and chief executive officer of Florida Crystals and University of Miami trustee, said, “Having benefited first-hand from the extraordinary skill of Bascom Palmer’s physicians, my family and I feel fortunate to be able to assist in the advancement of the institute’s research to aid our community.”

The donation will be used to help create Bascom Palmer’s Clinical Research Center on its campus in Palm Beach Gardens.  The 21,000 sq. ft. Research Center, scheduled to open in 2013, will house retinal, corneal and glaucoma research units, extensive ophthalmic imaging and diagnostic equipment, an ocular microbiology laboratory and patient examination rooms.  It will also provide greater access to clinical trials for Palm Beach County and Martin County residents.

U.S. News & World Report ranks Bascom Palmer Eye Institute the best eye hospital in the nation.

“Alfonso Fanjul’s interest in vision and technology is a natural fit for the cutting edge work Bascom Palmer’s world class physicians and scientists will conduct in the new Research Center,” said Eduardo C. Alfonso, M.D., chairman of Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.  “Using the tools of 21st century medicine, this generous gift will help us try to understand why the eye may become susceptible to disease and how new biotechnologies may help to prevent resulting vision loss.”

Research conducted at the new center will enhance the Institute’s strong research portfolio and will benefit a growing number of ophthalmology patients with all types of eye diseases and disorders.

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute opened its Palm Beach Gardens’ campus in 2006, bringing to Palm Beach County the most technologically advanced eye care center in the United States.  In recognition of the Fanjul family’s gift, the reception of the Clinical Research Building at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at Palm Beach Gardens will be named the “Florida Crystals Corporation Lobby.”

Florida Crystals Corporation is a leading, fully integrated cane sugar company that farms 187,000 acres in Palm Beach County, Fla., where it also owns two sugar mills, a sugar refinery, a packaging and distribution center, a rice mill and the largest renewable power plant in North America.  Its renewable energy facility delivers clean power to its sugar operations and tens of thousands of homes.  Florida Crystals is the only producer of certified organic sugar grown and harvested in the USA and the only producer certified CarbonFree® sugar, meaning its products have a carbon neutral footprint.  Florida Crystals, with its subsidiary, American Sugar Refining, Inc., is the world’s largest cane sugar refining company, owns and operates sugar refineries in six countries worldwide. Its products are marketed through its brand portfolio: Domino®, C&H®, Redpath®, Tate & Lyle® and Florida Crystals®.

Florida Crystals, a Fanjul Corp. company, is headquartered in West Palm Beach, Fla. and is led by Alfonso Fanjul and J. Pepe Fanjul.