20 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals receive $2.3 million in grants from The Rite Aid Foundation

The Rite Aid Foundation has awarded $2.3 million to 20 Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals across the nation through a special KidCents Grant Program.

Through the KidCents program, members of Rite Aid’s loyalty program, wellness+ rewards, can round up their in-store or online purchases to the nearest dollar and donate their change to KidCents.

The CMN Hospitals KidCents grants range from $49,124 to $300,000 and support existing programs or initiatives at children’s hospitals in local communities. The grants will enable local children’s hospitals to improve the health and wellbeing of children in communities served by Rite Aid.

A Safe Sleep Campaign at Akron Children’s Hospital, conducted in partnership with multiple community partners in Akron, OH, 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.

At Penn State Children’s Hospital in Hershey, PA, the program provides scholarships for children with special medical needs to attend one of 11 medical camps. These camps give kids the chance to experience everything from swimming to rock climbing in an environment that’s medically safe. Kids build self-esteem, learn new skills and meet new friends who face similar challenges. The camps also provide respite time for caregivers. In some cases, this is the only week of the year when they are not on call 24/7.

Science education outreach programs at Seattle Children’s Hospital in Seattle, WA, help address gaps in science education for students from low-resource schools. The programs are focused on stimulating an interest in science in elementary school students, as well as providing training and developing job skills in science and healthcare for high school students through experiential learning activities and field trips.

KidCents Grants were awarded to support the following CMN Hospitals:

• Cohen Children’s Medical Center
• Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
• Rady Children’s Hospital
• CHOC Children’s
• UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals
• UC Davis Children’s Hospital
• Valley Children’s Hospital
• Akron Children’s Hospital
• Boston Children’s Hospital
• OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital
• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
• Penn State Children’s Hospital
• UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
• Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital
• Beaumont Children’s
• Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters
• Children’s Specialized Hospital
• Seattle Children’s
• Johns Hopkins Children’s Center
• John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital

“We are excited to expand the reach of our partnership and help local children’s hospitals make an even greater difference in their communities,” explains Tracy Henderson, director of The Rite Aid Foundation and charitable giving initiatives.

Rite Aid, through the efforts of its customers, supplier partners and associates, has raised more than $92 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals across the country since 1994. 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 located in Rite Aid communities.