The KidsCents Regional Grant program is awarding Youth Challenge (YC) with $30,000. The grant will help fund the free adapted sports and recreational programs that YC provides for young people with physical disabilities.

“We are thankful to receive a KidCents Regional Grant,” said Chris Garr, CEO. “The Rite Aid Foundation’s support helps us to continue improving the lives of young people in Northeast Ohio.”

Youth Challenge modifies activities so that children ages 4-25 with such disabilities as spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, and cerebral palsy can fully participate. Golf, basketball, swimming, dance, ceramics, and many other programs are offered each year. Competitive team sports like soccer, powerlifting, boccia, and goalball are available as well. All activities and transportation are free for the families of children with disabilities.

YC uses a model for service that not only promotes healthy exercise through sports but also emphasizes the importance of peer interaction among young people of all abilities. At each activity, the children are paired one-on-one with teen volunteers. The partners work together to complete each game or project, with the teen volunteer helping to adapt the activity for their partner’s abilities.

The KidCents Regional Grant Program, which provides grants of $15,000-$30,000, funds 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 wellbeing of children living in the communities Rite Aid serves. They also support national organizations focused on critical children’s issues, including The Fred Rogers Company, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and Folds of Honor.

In this cycle of KidCents Regional Grants, The Rite Aid Foundation awarded 233 nonprofit grants totaling more than $5 million. Grants were available in select counties in the following states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington.

“The Rite Aid Foundation is committed to being a caring neighbor and making meaningful differences for the children and families who live in the communities we serve,” said Tracy Henderson, director of The Rite Aid Foundation and charitable giving initiatives. “The Regional Grant Program significantly expands the reach and impact of our KidCents program. It also enables our partner organizations to provide critical out-of-school time programs that are vital to keeping children and adolescents on track for future success.”

KidCents Regional Grants support nonprofit organizations with programs that serve children, grades K-12, and improve quality of life in Rite Aid communities. The grants support three of KidCents’ primary focus areas for improving the health and wellbeing of children: healthy eating, active living, and education. To be considered, programs and projects were required to take place during out-of-school-time with priority given to programs that support communities in need.  To learn more about the program, visit riteaid.com/grants.

The $30,000 KidCents Regional Grant from The Rite Aid Foundation will help YC to continue to offer its free programs and transportation to young people with physical disabilities.