Providence, RI:  March of Dimes Rhode Island Chapter has received a $105,000 grant from the CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust, the private foundation managed by CVS Corporation. The grant will support the March of Dimes NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) Family Support Project at Women & Infants Hospital.

Most families anticipate the birth of a child with great happiness. Premature birth and other problems can suddenly change the world for them as they face the most frightening and traumatic experience in their lives. The March of Dimes NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) Family Support nurse-specialist complements the superb care of clinical staff by providing emotional support and information to families during the most frightening and traumatic experience in their lives.

Preterm birth is the major cause of newborn death and there is no known cause for 50 percent of these births, many survive with long-term medical and developmental problems. These problems come with great family suffering and stress, and at a great financial cost to families, employers and insurers.

“We are very grateful to establish this partnership with CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust in support of the NICU Family Support Project,” said Betsy Akin, state director for the March of Dimes Rhode Island Chapter. “CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust grant joins Women & Infants Hospital in financial partnership that ensure that this important project will continue through 2010,” said Akin.
 
“Each year in Rhode Island alone, 1,508 babies are born too small, too soon—11.8 percent of all live births in Rhode Island are preterm.” Akin said that The March of Dimes NICU Family Support specialist in the NICU reaches out to families to provide emotional support and information to help them through this traumatic hospitalization.

“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.  We are proud to sponsor the work that March of Dimes does in the community to assist the families of preterm newborns through the NICU Family Support Project.”     

The CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust’s grant to the March of Dimes Rhode Island Chapter is part of its more than $5 million in grants to non-profit organizations across 22 states.  Organizations that were selected to receive a grant 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 issues, 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.

About the March of Dimes
The March of Dimes is a non-profit organization with the mission to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. To volunteer, or learn more about preventing birth defects and preterm birth call the March of Dimes Rhode Island Chapter at 401-454-1911 or log on to www.marchofdimes.com

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.