The Rite Aid Foundation is taking charitable giving to the next level by letting customers choose the charity they want to support through KidCents, Rite Aid’s in-store, round up program that supports nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children. Beginning today, members of the company’s wellness+ program will now have the ability to designate their change to one of the 204 approved KidCents charities on www.kidcents.com.

Marking the occasion, Rite Aid associates across the country will present $10,000 checks to each of the 204 inaugural KidCents charities, totaling over $2 million in donations, starting today and continuing through the week. This initial group of KidCents charities was selected by Rite Aid associates across the country and is representative of all the communities the company serves.

Rite Aid President and Chief Operating Officer Ken Martindale, who also serves as president of The Rite Aid Foundation, along with Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Michael Wolf, will help launch the nationwide celebrations by presenting two local nonprofit organizations, Leg Up Farm of Mt. Wolf and Family Support of Central Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, each with $10,000. The presentation will take place today at 9 a.m. at the Rite Aid pharmacy located at 1137 Market Street in Lemoyne, Pa., near the company’s Camp Hill corporate headquarters. The Foundation will provide a total of $250,000 to Pennsylvania nonprofit children’s charities during the course of the week.

“We know our customers share our passion when it comes to giving back to the community, and that’s why we created KidCents,” said Martindale. “By shopping at Rite Aid and rounding up their purchases, our customers can easily make a meaningful difference in the lives of kids right in their own community. And our initial group of charities is just the beginning, as we hope that customers who are already involved with an organization that supports children’s health and wellbeing will encourage that charity to apply to join KidCents, taking our program to a whole new level, helping even more kids.”

To participate, Rite Aid customers can sign into their wellness+ account at www.kidcents.com and review the profiles of approved KidCents charities they can choose to support. Each charity profile features information about the organization and the services it provides as well as stories of those helped by the organization. Once a charity is selected, the next time the customer shops at Rite Aid, their purchase will be rounded up to the nearest dollar and their change will be designated to their selected charity.

“As a public health official and as a father, I know how valuable it is for our children and young people to receive the resources they need to have the highest quality of life and health possible,” said Wolf. “KidCents provides an opportunity for people to make small contributions that can create lifelong impacts to the communities they serve.”

Nonprofit organizations interested in participating in The Rite Aid Foundation’s KidCents program can visit www.kidcents.com/apply to submit an application. To be eligible, an organization must be classified as exempt from federal tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code and meet the KidCents program guidelines. Once approved, KidCents charities are also eligible to earn a “Step Up” reward; for every $500 a charity raises in contributions through the KidCents program, it will receive a matching donation of $500 from KidCents, up to a maximum of $5,000 throughout the giving term. For more information, visit www.kidcents.com.

Since its inception in 2001, The Rite Aid Foundation has awarded more than $17 million to nonprofit organizations, and Rite Aid has partnered with its customers to raise and donate $65 million to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals across the country.

Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) is one of the nation's leading drugstore chains with nearly 4,600 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia and fiscal 2014 annual revenues of $25.5 billion. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through the company's website at www.riteaid.com.

The Rite Aid Foundation’s inaugural KidCents charities include:

Alabama

Autism Spectrum Counseling Center Incorporated
Cullman Caring for Kids
The Child Advocacy Center
YouthServe, Inc.

California

Alliance for Children’s Rights
Bay Area Crisis Nursery
Children: Our Ultimate Investment
Children Today
Children’s Crisis Center of Stanislaus County, Inc.
Children's Fund
Children's Receiving Home of Sacramento
Children's Services Auxiliary of Ventura County
Coastal Kids Home Care
Emilio Nares Foundation
Exceptional Parents Unlimited, Inc. (EPU Children's Center)
Find the Children
Free Arts for Abused Children
Happy Trails Children’s Foundation
Healthier Kids Foundation
Home Start Inc.
Jack's Helping Hand, Inc.
KidsFirst
M.A.R.E. Riding Center
Maryvale
Miracle Babies
Okizu
Orange County Child Abuse Prevention Center
Project Hope Alliance
Rosie's Garage
Speech and Language Development Center
T.H.E. Center, Inc.
The Carolyn E. Wylie Center for Children, Youth & Families
The Children’s Center of Antelope Valley
Youth Violence Prevention Council

Colorado

Children's Outreach Project

Connecticut

Covenant to Care for Children
KIDSAFE CT
‘r Kids, Inc.

Delaware

Children & Families First

Georgia

Atlanta Children’s Shelter, Inc.
Challenged Child & Friends, Inc.
H.E.R.O. for Children
Murphy-Harpst Children’s Centers
SafePath Children's Advocacy Center
Savannah Speech and Hearing Center
The Children's Advocacy Center of Lowndes County, Inc.

Kentucky

Central Kentucky Riding for Hope
Home of the Innocents
Hope's Place
The Backpack Club
The Center for Courageous Kids

Louisiana

The Emerge Center
Youth Empowerment Project

Maine

Camp Sunshine at Sebago Lake Inc.
Mahoosuc Kids Association
Spruce Run

Maryland

Baltimore Child Abuse Center
Believe in Tomorrow Children's Foundation
Charles County Children's Aid Society
KEEN Greater DC
Kennedy Krieger Institute
SHORE UP!

Massachusetts

Children's Cove
DCF Kids Fund
DIAL/SELF Youth & Community Services
House of Possibilities
The Home for Little Wanderers
The New England Center for Children

Michigan

CARE House of Oakland County
Child Abuse Council of Muskegon County
Child & Family Services of Northwestern Michigan
Ele's Place
Ennis Center for Children
Kids’ Food Basket
Macomb County Rotating Emergency Shelter Team
The Children's Center
Washtenaw Area Council for Children
Whaley Children’s Center
Youth Development Commission

Mississippi

Mississippi Children's Home Services

North Carolina

American Children's Home
Eliada Homes, Inc.
Elon Homes and Schools for Children
Lucy Daniels Center
OASIS NC
The Little Willie Center
Thompson Child & Family Focus
Voices Together
Wilmington Health Access for Teens

New Hampshire

Dover Children’s Home
Nashua Children's Home
Spaulding Youth Center Foundation

New Jersey

Anchor House
Circle of Care for Families and Children of Passaic County, Inc.
Community Treatment Solutions
Deirdre’s House
Good Grief
Miracle for Mateo
Oasis – A Haven for Women and Children
Ocean of Love, Inc.
Saint Peter's Orphanage
Summit Speech School
The Alcove Center for Grieving Children & Families
The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey
Wynona's House

New York

Association to Benefit Children
Astor Services for Children & Families
Berkshire Farm Center & Services for Youth
Brooklyn Autism Center
Center for Disability Services
Children's Aid Society Bronx Family Center
Children's Brain Tumor Foundation
Compass House
Covenant House New York
Cradle Beach
Double H Ranch
Elmcrest Children's Center
Feel Better Kids, Inc.
Guild for Exceptional Children
Hillside Children's Center
Hunts Point Alliance for Children
Kids Oneida Inc.
Kids Place A Place for Kids to Be II, Inc.
Learning Leaders
McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center
Nicholas Center for Autism
Partnership for After School Education
Pathways, Inc.
Renaissance Youth Center
Rochester Childfirst Network
Safe Inc., of Schenectady
St. Mary's Healthcare System for Children
Summit Educational Resources
The Autism Council of Rochester
The Child Center of NY
The Children's Aid Society
Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch

Ohio

Canton Ex-Newsboys Association
Cleveland Sight Center
Family and Child Abuse Prevention Center
Feed Lucas County Children, Inc.
For Love of Children
Inspiring Minds
Millcreek Children's Center
Raemelton Therapeutic Equestrian Center
Youth Challenge

Oregon

Children’s Cancer Association
KIDS Center
SouthSide Youth Outreach

Pennsylvania

Camelot for Children, Inc.
Caring Place
Child to Family Connections
Children's Crisis Treatment Center
Children's Service Center of Wyoming Valley Inc.
Cora Services
Delaware Valley Children's Charity
Dragonfly Forest
Dreams Go On
Family Services of Western Pennsylvania
Family Support of Central PA
Feel the Warmth
Grady's Decision
HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy
Homeless Children's Education Fund
Jeremiah’s Place
Leg Up Farm
Mighty Writers
NorthEast Treatment Center
Northeastern Child Care Services
Philadelphia Children's Foundation
So Love Autistic Center
The Center for Grieving Children
The Children’s Home of Reading
The Children's Institute of Pittsburgh

Rhode Island

Children's Friend and Service
The Matty Fund

South Carolina

Epworth Children's Home
Pendleton Place for Children and Families
The Dee Norton Lowcountry Children's Center

Tennessee

Chattanooga Autism Center
Mur-Ci Homes, Inc.
Y-Mot, Inc.

Utah

Foundation for Children and Youth with Diabetes

Vermont

New England Kurn Hattin Homes
Spectrum Youth & Family Services

Virginia

Children's Advocacy Center of Bristol/Washington County VA Inc.
Edmarc Hospice for Children
EQUI-KIDS Therapeutic Riding Program
Henry & William Evans Home for Children Inc.
Homestretch Inc.
Matthew’s Haven, Inc.
Noah's Children
Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center
Youth for Tomorrow

Washington

A Gift for Special Children
Burned Children Recovery Foundation
Childhaven
Navos
Reliable Enterprises
Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery

West Virginia

Childhood Language Center
Children’s Home Society of West Virginia
Crittenton Services, Inc.
Disability Action Center Inc.