Variety -the Children’s Charity of the Desert Receives $15,000 KidCents Regional Grant from The Rite Aid Foundation
The Rite Aid Foundation awarded a $15,000 KidCents Regional Grant
to Variety -the Children’s Charity of the Desert’s Freedom Program.
The Freedom Program provides adaptive bikes for Coachella Valley special needs children.
Becky Moreno, Executive Director, said “Each of these customized bikes provides exercise, independence and inclusion of the kids. Seeing a child ride their bike for the very first time is such a wonderful and moving experience for all those involved! ” Variety’s Freedom Program provides customized adaptive mobility bikes for children with physical and mental disabilities
who otherwise would not have the ability to experience the independence and the recreational therapeutic benefits of the bikes. Each bike is designed to meet the special physical requirements of children with conditions that include cerebral palsy, spina bifida, Down syndrome, autism and more.
The new KidCents Regional Grant Program, which provides grants of $15,000-$30,000, significantly expands the reach of KidCents by funding specific out-of-school-time programs focused on children’s nutrition, physical fitness and academic success. The KidCents program also annually supports a select group of more than 400 nonprofit, kid-focused organizations committed to improving the health and well being of children living in the communities Rite Aid serves and national organizations focused on critical children’s issues, including The Fred Rogers Company, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and Folds of Honor. “We created the KidCents program to ensure that kids have a chance for better lives and brighter futures,” said Tracy Henderson, director of The Rite Aid Foundation and charitable giving initiatives. “With the introduction of the KidCents Regional Grant program, we are expanding our efforts even more while filling a need for valuable out-of-school-time programming. In addition, we are enabling our partner nonprofit organizations to implement innovative, ground-breaking programs that advance children’s health and well-being and promote academic growth.”
KidCents Regional Grants support nonprofit organizations with programs that serve children, from newborn to 18 years of age, and improve the quality of life in Rite Aid communities. The grants support three of KidCents’ primary focus areas for improving the health and well-being of children: healthy eating, active living and education. To be considered, programs and projects were required to take place during out-of-school-time. Priority was given to programs supporting communities in need.
