12.07.2006 - 03:15pm ET

(CSRwire)
WOONSOCKET RI, December 7, 2006: The CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust, the private foundation managed by CVS Corporation, announced today that it has awarded more than $5 million in grant funds to non-profit organizations across the U.S. for programs serving children with disabilities this year.

Organizations were chosen through the CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust's 2006 grant application process. Grants were awarded to organizations involved in children's health and education, with a particular focus on initiatives to improve the lives of children with disabilities and programs that promote awareness and inclusion of children with disabilities.

"CVS strongly believes in giving back to the communities where we live and work," said Eileen Howard Dunn, Vice President of the CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust. "Grants from the CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust are an effective way for us to support the extraordinary work done by community organizations to help children with disabilities and their families and to promote health, wellness and education. Through our community investments, we hope to ensure that children with disabilities have the opportunity to reach their greatest potential and succeed in life."

For the past five years, the CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust has invited non-profit organizations to apply for grants. Since 2001, it has awarded grants totaling more than $16 million to more than 250 organizations. During that time, the Trust has also provided approximately $4 million in grants to support pharmacy schools and pharmacy scholarships around the country. In addition, it provides ongoing support to the CVS Corporate Scholarship Program for children of CVS associates and to the CVS Volunteer Challenge Grant Program, which donates funds to community organizations for which CVS associates volunteer.

Funding from the 2006 CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust grants went to a wide variety of projects including Perkins School for the Blind (Watertown, MA) to expand its infant and toddler assessment program; Roger Williams Park Zoo (Providence, RI) to build a Treehouse for All as part of an inclusive learning environment in its multi-sensory children's zoo; SIRE, Inc. (Hockley, TX) for its therapeutic horseback riding programs for children with disabilities; and Space Coast Early Intervention Center (Melbourne, Florida) for a unique interdisciplinary program that includes young children challenged by disabilities and their typically developing peers.

"This is such an exciting time in the history of Roger Williams Park Zoo. As we move forward with a master plan that will truly change the face of our zoo, we look forward to providing unique experiences for all of our visitors," said Jack Mulvena, Director of Roger Williams Park Zoo. "This new tree house will allow hundreds of thousands of people of all ages and abilities to connect with the wonders of the natural world side by side, without barriers or limitations. The significant contribution made by CVS to this important facet of the new Roger Williams Park Zoo speaks to our shared commitment to providing access to shared experiences that everyone can enjoy together."

"The generous support from the CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust will allow Perkins School for the Blind to serve more babies and toddlers who are blind," said Steven M. Rothstein, President, Perkins School for the Blind. "We are deeply grateful for this support. It will make a profound difference in our neighborhoods."

Grants were also awarded to Children's Hospital Boston Center for Communication Disorders (Boston, MA), March of Dimes Rhode Island (Providence, RI), Art Education for the Blind (New York, NY), Children's Institute of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA), Hole in the Wall Gang Fund, Inc. (New Haven, CT), Kids Included Together, Inc. (San Diego, CA), Youth Challenge (Cleveland, OH), Evanston Park Foundation (Evanston, IL) and Safe Kids of Georgia, Inc. (Augusta, GA).

Following is a complete list of organizations receiving CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust grants for 2006:

Arizona

Arizona Centers for Comprehensive Education and Life-Skills
Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health

California

Goodwill Industries of Orange County
Kids Included Together, Inc.
Pediatric Therapy Network
Speech and Language Development Center, Inc.

Connecticut

Connecticut Institute for the Blind
Greater Hartford Association for Retarded Citizens, Inc.
Hole in the Wall Gang Fund, Inc.

District of Columbia
St. John's Community Services

Florida

Access Sports America
Lighthouse Central Florida, Inc.
Space Coast Early Intervention Center
United Cerebral Palsy of Tampa Bay, Inc.

Georgia

Challenged Child and Friends, Inc.
Safe Kids of Georgia--MCG Children's Medical Center
Special Olympics of Georgia, Inc.
Stepping Stones Educational Therapy Center, Inc.

Illinois

Benjamin District 25 Early Intervention Preschool
Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Foundation
Evanston Park Foundation--Noah's Playground for Everyone
Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association
Have Dreams
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
Saint Francis Medical Center (Children's Hospital of Illinois)

Indiana

Bloomington Hospital Foundation, Inc.

Kentucky

Louisville Deaf Oral School

Louisiana

Baton Rouge General Foundation

Massachusetts

Access Sports America
Bay Cove Human Services, Inc.
Children's Hospital Corporation (Children's Hospital Boston)
Inner City Scholarships--Diocese of Boston
Outdoor Exploration, Inc.
Partners for Youth with Disabilities, Inc.
Perkins School for the Blind
The UMass Memorial Foundation (Children's Medical Center)
World T.E.A.M. Sports (The Exceptional Athlete Matters)

Maryland

Special Olympics of Maryland, Inc.
The Arc of Baltimore
The William S. Baer School Partnership Board

Michigan

Comprehensive Therapy Center, Inc.
Therapeutic Riding, Inc.

Missouri

Children's Center for the Visually Impaired

New Jersey

Foundation of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

New York

Art Education for the Blind, Inc.
Cerebral Palsy of Westchester, Inc.
Dance in Education Fund, Inc.
National Dance Institute, Inc.
National Society to Prevent Blindness
The Sailing Foundation of New York

North Carolina

Free Rein, Inc.
Special Olympics of North Carolina, Inc.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill--Division TEACCH

Ohio

Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center
The Arc Hamilton County
Youth Challenge

Pennsylvania

Center for Creative Play
Children's Institute of Pittsburgh
Heart of Variety Fund
The Children's Home of Pittsburgh
The Children's Hospital Foundation

Rhode Island

CVS Highlander Charter School
March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
Rhode Island Zoological Society (Roger Williams Park Zoo)
Turning Pointe Therapeutic Riding
US Cerebral Palsy Athletic Association - National Disability Sports Alliance
Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island

South Carolina

Meyer Center for Special Children
Volunteers of America of the Carolinas

Texas

Dallas Services for Visually Impaired Children
Seedlings Braille Books for Children
SIRE, Inc. (Houston's Therapeutic Equestrian Centers)

The CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust will be accepting applications for 2007 grants from May 1 to June 15, 2007.

For additional information, go to http://www.cvs.com/corpInfo/community/charitable_mission.html.

About the CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust

The CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust, Inc. is a private foundation managed by CVS Corporation, which operates approximately 6,200 retail and specialty pharmacy stores in 43 states and the District of Columbia in addition to its online pharmacy, CVS.com; its retail-based health clinic subsidiary, MinuteClinic; and its pharmacy benefit management, mail order and specialty pharmacy subsidiary, PharmaCare. The Trust's mission is to provide funding for health care, education and community involvement initiatives targeting children with disabilities in communities where CVS/pharmacy stores are located. General information about CVS is available through the Investor Relations portion of the Company's Web site at http://investor.cvs.com, or through the press room portion of the Company's website, at www.cvs.com/pressroom.

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