Robinson Cano Receives Honor for his Innovative Work in Education

    NEW YORK, NY, November 18, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- MLB All Star and budding philanthropist Robinson Cano was honored by the The DREAM Project (Dominican Republic Education and Mentoring Project) at its 4th Annual NYC Benefit: Sueños 2015. The honor highlighted the work being done by his RC22 Foundation and the completion of Cano's first RC22 DREAM School, in his hometown of San Pedro de Macoris. The center will be officially inaugurated this November 24th. The brand new facility will provide groundbreaking preschool programs using the Montessori methodology, focused on lifting hundreds of local children out of poverty.

Latin GRAMMY Award winning singer Henry Santos and Latin GRAMMY nominated singer and Bachata sensation Leslie Grace, who have become Ambassadors of DREAM's impactful programs, presented Sueños 2015. DREAM, a leader in the field of non-profit education throughout the Dominican Republic, works with more than 6,000 underserved youth in 16 different communities.

The benefit took place at the exclusive 40/40 Club in Manhattan, with celebrities, philanthropists, responsible business leaders, community leaders and supporters coming together to celebrate high quality education for all Dominican youth. The glitzy event was a true NYC celebration, but had a unique message on how innovative education models can break the cycle of poverty and Cano captured this during his acceptance speech:

"As a youth, I was fortunate to have the guidance and love of my parents, who allowed me to focus both on baseball and education at the same time. For many of the children in San Pedro, baseball is their only hope to escape poverty and I am committed to using this gift I have to help make many of their dreams come true, just like mine. We all deserve this opportunity," said Cano.

The event's guest list was a reflection of Cano and DREAM's large global community, including some of New York's most prominent philanthropists, politicians Sen. Adriano Espaillat and Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, Fidel Vicioso and Leo Minaya of "The House that Jack Built" & "Gotham", Actor and Director Ramses Jimenez, UFC Star Alex Garcia, singer Kathy Cristina, Mr. and Miss Dominican Republic US Ariel Pichardo and Kassandra Fernández and many more.

As official sponsors of this year's event, JetBlue, UBS, Playa Grande Club & Reserve, Amanera, The 40/40 Club, Brugal, Mundo Max's En Directo and LatinTrends, rounded out the evening, showing how corporate social responsibility can partner with star power and innovation to educate thousands of youth in need.

About The DREAM Project:
The Dominican Republic Education and Mentoring (DREAM) Project is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that focuses on early childhood education, high quality primary education, holistic youth development, and arts, culture and community enrichment. Their groundwork was laid in 1995 when a group of Dartmouth students came down for a semester to volunteer public schools in Cabarete, Dominican Republic. Today, DREAM helps more than 6,000 children receive a better education through its 15 programs in 16 different communities, affecting the lives of over 8,000 community members. For more information visit http://www.dominicandream.org

About the RC22 Foundation:
The mission of the RC22 Foundation is to positively impact the lives of underserved children and communities both locally and globally. Since its inception as a 501c3 charitable organization in October 2011, the RC22 Foundation has established and engaged in various initiatives that expand opportunities for improved outcomes in the areas of youth development and community healthcare. The RC22 Foundation has recently completed construction of the RC22 DREAM School in Robinson Cano's hometown in San Pedro De Macoris, for children ages 3-8 years old. For more information about the RC22 Foundation, visit http://robinsoncanoofficial.com.

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