Rite Aid Corp., based in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, has given a total of $723,000 to Children’s Miracle Network at Penn State Children’s Hospital over the past year. This total includes gifts from Rite Aid customers during an in-store campaign, support from Rite Aid vendors and associates, and The Rite Aid Foundation and its Kids Cents program.
The support from Rite Aid is a significant share of the company’s $100 million in total giving over the last 26 years to 53 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in 18 states. This includes $7.78 million for Penn State Children’s Hospital to support research, equipment and programs like Child Life, a pediatric patient assistance fund and medical camp scholarships.
“We’re fortunate to have Rite Aid headquartered right here in our own backyard,” said Deborah Berini, president, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. “As our neighborhood pharmacy, they not only support our patients and families in their routine care needs, but we’re grateful that they’ve chosen to extend their health and wellness focus to support patients at Penn State Children’s Hospital.”
One of those patients is Kevin Clancy of Camp Hill. He was treated at Penn State Children’s Hospital in 2008 after suffering a life-threatening brain injury from an accident on an inflatable slide. Kevin now works at Rite Aid’s corporate headquarters and supports the company’s fundraising efforts.
Later this week, patients and their families will also receive holiday toys and treats donated by The Rite Aid Foundation.
Support from Rite Aid and other corporate partners will advance "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence," a focused campaign that seeks to elevate Penn State’s position as a leading public university in a world defined by rapid change and global connections. With the support of alumni and friends, “A Greater Penn State” seeks to fulfill the three key imperatives of a 21st-century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hardworking students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by serving communities and fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more about “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.