MDA Receives $1,500 CVS Caremark Community Grant

DALLAS, Texas – AUGUST 11, 2011 – The Muscular Dystrophy Association announced today that it has received a $1,500 CVS Caremark Community Grant. MDA’s mission is closely aligned with CVS Caremark All Kids Can, the company’s signature philanthropic program focused on supporting children with disabilities.  The grant from CVS Caremark will help MDA send children to MDA Summer Camp.

Approximately 90 children with neuromuscular disease from across North Texas attend MDA Summer Camp at Camp John Marc in Meridian, Texas each year. Children ages 6 to 17 spend the “best week of the year” among friends where physical disabilities are the rule rather than the exception. This year’s Summer Camp lasted June 19 through June 24, and campers enjoyed power hockey, blow darts, water games, arts & crafts, a ropes challenge course, Camp dances, horseback riding, swimming, talent shows, and more. MDA Summer Camp is free of charge to families thanks to corporations, groups and individuals who raise funds for the Association.

“MDA Summer Camp is the week that our kids think about year-round,” said Jim Brown, MDA Regional Director. “The CVS Caremark Community Grant will help us facilitate many Camp activities.”

“We are committed to making a positive impact in the communities where we live and work and the CVS Caremark Community grants program does just that by supporting organizations that truly make a difference in the lives of children and families,” said Karen Ramos, Senior Manager, Community Relations, CVS Caremark Corporation.  “We are proud to support the work that MDA does in the community and we look forward to working with them in the year ahead.”

MDA was selected to receive a grant through the CVS Caremark Community Grants 2010 grant application process.  Grants were awarded to organizations that share a common vision with CVS Caremark’s All Kids Can program, which strives to make life easier for children with disabilities.  The goal of the All Kids Can program is create more inclusive environments for children with and without disabilities to build self-esteem, lasting friendships and social skills, and to help children without disabilities learn diversity and tolerance.

“CVS Caremark is committed to helping children with disabilities learn, play and succeed in life,” said Dennis Palmer, Senior Vice President, CVS Caremark.  “Through this grant, we are able to help make an impact on the lives of children in the Dallas community.”

MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research. The Association also provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy and education. MDA’s annual Labor Day Telethon will be broadcast in the Dallas/Fort Worth area Sunday, September 4 from 5 p.m. to midnight on TXA 21. Up-to-date information about MDA services and research can be found at www.MDA.org.

About CVS Caremark All Kids Can

All Kids Can, a program of the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust and CVS Caremark, is a five-year, $25 million commitment to support children with disabilities. The goals of All Kids Can are to support children with disabilities by raising awareness in schools and in local communities about the importance of inclusion, creating greater opportunities for physical activity and play, and providing access to medical rehabilitation and related services. CVS Caremark and its more than 190,000 employees plan to help children with disabilities learn, play and succeed through partnerships with leading local and national nonprofit organizations such as Easter Seals and many others across the country. For more information, visit http://www.cvsallkidscan.com.