The General Federation of Women’s Club Florida District 11 awarded Gloria Burns, a decades long member of the Coral Gables Woman’s Club, the prestigious “Volunteer of the Year” Award.
Burns has been an active member of the Coral Gables Woman’s Club (CGWC) and the Coral Gables Junior Woman’s Club, before the merger, for more than 30 years. She traveled with several club members to Orlando to attend the Florida Federation Convention where she was honored with other district award winners on Apr. 30.
Burns began her volunteer activities in South Florida after transferring from the St. Petersburg Junior Woman’s Club to the Coral Gables Woman’s Club in 1977-78. Impressed with a club that owns and operates a dental clinic for disadvantaged children, she became active immediately helping raise funds for a clinic that provides more than $160,000 in free dental care annually for Miami Dade County school aged children.
Within a year, she became fundraising chair, then Cabaret general chair, followed by other board positions and continues to remain active chairing publicity year after year.
In addition to Burns’ club work with CGWC, she also is a longtime member of the Rotary Club of Coral Gables and currently sits on their board of directors as publicity chair. She has served on the board of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce and held many positions including that of executive director of the Junior Orange Bowl Committee and executive director of the Coral Gables Community Foundation.
Burns’ volunteer activities also extend to Doral where she is involved heavily in the Doral Business Council and the DBC’s Women’s Business Alliance, Ambassadors, Leads Forum and Relay for Life.
Now, as a columnist and marketing consultant for Miami’s Community Newspapers, Burns also has become involved in the American Heart Walk and various other charitable activities as well.
Married with two adult children and one grandchild, her family and church round out her active and fulfilling life. She is a member of the choir at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Doral.
