Rite Aid Foundation Grants $2.3 Million to Local Children's Hospitals

The Rite Aid Foundation is awarding $2.3 million to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals through its KidCents Grant Program. The grants are designed to enable local children’s hospitals to advance initiatives focused on improving the health and wellbeing of children in the communities that Rite Aid serves.

The company and foundation have supported Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for 25 years, with more than $92 million in funding. Grants—ranging between $49,124 and $300,000—are awarded to children’s hospitals in targeted communities.

This year, 20 local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and programs are receiving grants. Recipients include:

• Penn State Children’s Hospital, Hershey, Pennsylvania.: The program provides scholarships for children with special health care needs to attend one of 11 medical camps. These children are given the opportunity to experience camp activities, such as swimming to rock climbing, in an environment that's medically safe, and meet new friends that face similar challenges. The camps also provide respite time for caregivers.
• Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, Washington: Addressing gaps in science education for students from low-resource schools, the outreach programs are focused on stimulating an interest in science in elementary school students. These programs also provide training and help high school students develop job skills in science and health care through experiential learning activities and field trips.
• Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron, Ohio: A Safe Sleep Campaign, conducted in partnership with multiple community partners, provides Safe Sleep Kits to at-risk families in Summit, Portage and Stark counties. All families receiving Safe Sleep Kits will participate in an educational session, which includes an overview of recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Ohio Department of Health ABCs of Safe Sleep education, and a presentation of safe crib set-up and tear-down. Participants are also required to demonstrate proper crib assembly.

Every year, in support of the foundation, Rite Aid associates across the country raise money through the annual Miracle Balloon Campaign. In 2018, the campaign raised $4.5 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to help administer life-saving care, purchase medical equipment and provide critical funds to more than 90 hospitals.

REFERENCE

The Rite Aid Foundation Awards $2.3 Million to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals [news release]. Camp Hill, PA; October 14, 2019: Rite Aid. [email] Accessed October 14, 2019.