CVS Caremark Employees Raise $1 Million and Increase Awareness for Children with Disabilities through Easter Seals Walk With Me

WOONSOCKET, R.I., June 20  /PRNewswire/ -- This year, thousands of CVS Caremark associates across the country will participate in Easter Seals Walk With Me events as part of the CVS Caremark All Kids Can(TM) program, one of the country's largest corporate commitments to children with disabilities. Easter Seals was selected as an All Kids Can national partner when the company introduced the program in 2006.

Since 2006, CVS Caremark and its private foundation have contributed more than $4 million to Easter Seals, including CVS Caremark All Kids Can Fund gifts to support Easter Seals autism services, and a commitment to Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago's Therapeutic Day School and Center for Autism Research, scheduled to open this fall. Additionally, each year CVS Caremark has been a valued sponsor for Easter Seals Walk With Me events and employee teams have shown their support through Walk With Me pledges and local Easter Seals fundraisers.

In Providence, hundreds of CVS Caremark employees will converge at Roger Williams Park Zoo this Saturday to raise money for local children with disabilities.  Since 2006, some 7,000 CVS Caremark employees have raised more than $1 million through walks for local Easter Seals affiliates. Walkers in Saturday's event in Providence will include about 350 CVS Caremark employees and their families, who expect to raise more than $75,000 to expand Easter Seals' early intervention services in the state.

"In Rhode Island, 14% of children under 18 have a disability, and nationally, 9.2% of American families with children have at least one child with disability," said Eileen Howard Dunn, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications and Community Relations, CVS Caremark. "CVS Caremark is committed to improving the lives of children with disabilities through our All Kids Can program. We are very proud that so many of our employees are helping us support Easter Seals in expanding its extraordinary services to even more children."

Held in nearly 50 markets across the country, Walk With Me is Easter Seals' national signature fundraising event that raises millions each year to help change the lives of people living with autism and other disabilities. Participants in Walk With Me, don't just receive the typical race number, wristband or T-shirt. At each race, walkers are inspired by an Easter Seals Honorary Ambassador, a child or young adult with a disability who benefits from local Easter Seals services. Inspiring CVS Caremark employees during Saturday's walk is a local girl named Lily May, who was born with disabilities, but who has succeeded far beyond expectations through Easter Seals' early intervention services.

"There is great demand nationwide for services benefiting children with disabilities," said James E. Williams, Jr., president and chief executive officer, Easter Seals. "Early intervention is particularly important in ensuring that a child's development is on track during his or her first critical years. We are extremely grateful for the impact we are able to make in the lives of these children through CVS Caremark's support."

Through their support of Walk With Me, employees from many corporate partners -- including CVS Caremark-help bring Easter Seals one step closer to achieving its mission: to provide exceptional services to ensure all people with disabilities and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities.

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/.

About Easter Seals

Easter Seals is the leading non-profit provider of services for individuals with autism, developmental disabilities, physical disabilities and other special needs. For nearly 90 years, we have been offering help and hope to children and adults living with disabilities, and to the families who love them. Through therapy, training, education and support services, Easter Seals creates life-changing solutions so that people with disabilities can live, learn, work and play. Support children and adults with disabilities at http://www.easterseals.com/ or register for a walk near you at http://www.walkwithme.org/.

  Contact:  Carolyn Castel
            CVS Caremark
            401-770-5717
            

            Sara Steindorf
            Weber Shandwick
            617-520-7259
            

DATASOURCE: CVS Caremark



CONTACT:  Sara Steindorf of Weber Shandwick for CVS Caremark,

[phone], ; or Carolyn Castel of CVS

Caremark, [phone],  



Web site:  http://www.cvs.com/

http://www.cvsallkidscan.com/

http://www.easterseals.com/

http://www.walkwithme.org/ 

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