2007 CVS Caremark Downtown 5K Raises $160,000 for Local Nonprofit Organizations and Schools
February 13 2008 - 9:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Funds contribute to eight-year tally of $800,000 WOONSOCKET, R.I.,
Feb. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Area track and field coaches, student
runners, Special Olympians and representatives from area nonprofits
converged at the CVS Caremark Customer Support Center last evening
to celebrate the record-breaking funds raised -- $160,000, by the
2007 CVS Caremark Downtown 5K. The group of approximately 125
youths and adults joined CVS Caremark executives and staff for
dinner and a presentation of checks to their respective schools and
organizations. The 2007 race -- which turned out over 7,000
registered runners, walkers and wheelchair athletes, brought the
tally of funds raised during CVS Caremark's eight-year sponsorship
of the Downtown 5K to $800,000. "We are pleased to be recognizing
so many positives this evening as we celebrate yet another banner
year for the CVS Caremark Downtown 5K and set the pace for
continued success in upcoming years," said Larry Merlo, executive
vice president of CVS Caremark Corporation and president of
CVS/pharmacy. "Through this great race -- the largest in Rhode
Island, the spirit of volunteerism comes alive, health and fitness
are embraced, and nonprofit organizations get an extra financial
boost to help them fulfill their important missions."
Representatives from the following nonprofit groups were honored
and presented with checks last evening: All Children's Theater,
Amos House, Best Buddies of Rhode Island, Meeting Street, National
Braille Press, PARI (People Actively Reaching Independence),
Perkins School for the Blind, The Groden Center, and The Providence
Center. Additionally, organizations providing volunteers for the
race -- including schools, track clubs and nonprofit organizations,
were recognized at the dinner and awarded grants. They included:
Attleboro Jaguars Track Club, Bishop Hendricken High School,
Chariho High School, Civil Air Patrol, East Greenwich High School,
East Providence High School, Exeter/West Greenwich Sports for Kids,
Johnston High School Track Club, LaSalle Academy-Girls Basketball
Team, LaSalle Boys Track Club, LaSalle Girls Track Club, Lincoln
High School, North Kingstown Track Club, Rhode Island Boys Track
Association, Rhode Island Girls Track Association, Rhode Island
Scholastic League, Rhode Island Track Guild, Sentinel Striders,
Thunderbolt Track Club, Tollgate High School, Yawgoo Valley Search
and Rescue Team 501 (YVSAR), A Wish Come True, American Red Cross,
Autism Project of Rhode Island, Special Olympics Rhode Island and
US Cerebral Palsy Athletic Association/Blaze Sports America. To
further promote health care and to emphasize the importance of
physical activity for children, CVS Caremark also awarded $500
grants to ten schools that won random drawings. School teams with
25 or more children who participated in the 2007 CVS Caremark Youth
Races or High School Inspirational 3K qualified for the drawings,
which are earmarked to assist physical education programs. The
winners of these grants included Chariho High School, Coventry
Cross Country, Highlander Charter School, LaSalle Cross Country,
Learning Community Charter School, Mount St. Charles Academy,
Scituate High School, Tollgate High School, West Warwick Cross
Country Team and Woonsocket High School. At last evening's dinner
and check presentation event, Merlo also acknowledged the children
with special needs who participated in the All Kids Can
Inspirational segment of the 2007 race. "The determination and joy
that is visible in these special athletes as they partake in the
race is incredibly uplifting. We thank them for the inspiration
they provide to others and extend our gratitude to Special Olympics
Rhode Island, Meeting Street and the US Cerebral Palsy Association
for partnering with us to recruit these special athletes. The CVS
Caremark All Kids Can Inspirational segment is an important
extension of our All Kids Can program which focuses on helping
children with disabilities learn, play and succeed in life," said
Merlo. The 2008 CVS Caremark Downtown 5K is scheduled to take place
on September 21. Organizers have announced that a number of
Olympians will be returning to Providence to compete in the race.
About the Downtown 5K The Downtown 5K is recognized by the IRS as a
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes health and fitness
through road racing. Proceeds from the annual race event are
donated to local youth charities in Rhode Island and Southern New
England. About CVS Caremark CVS Caremark is the largest provider of
prescriptions and related healthcare services in the nation. The
Company fills or manages more than 1 billion prescriptions
annually. Through its unmatched breadth of service offerings, CVS
Caremark is transforming the delivery of healthcare services in the
U.S. The Company is uniquely positioned to effectively manage costs
and improve healthcare outcomes through its 6,200 CVS/pharmacy
stores; its pharmacy benefit management, mail order and specialty
pharmacy division, Caremark Pharmacy Services; its retail-based
health clinic subsidiary, MinuteClinic; and its online pharmacy,
CVS.com. General information about CVS Caremark is available
through the Investor Relations portion of the Company's website, at
http://investor.cvs.com/, as well as through the pressroom portion
of the Company's website, at http://www.cvs.com/pressroom. CONTACT:
Dawn Ratte Carolyn Castel/CVS Caremark 401 453 4748 401 770 5717
DATASOURCE: CVS Caremark Corporation CONTACT: Dawn Ratte,
+1-401-453-4748, , for CVS Caremark Corporation; or Carolyn Castel
of CVS Caremark Corporation, +1-401-770-5717, Web site:
http://www.cvs.com/
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