Rite Aid Foundation Awards Grant to Kids in Need.

DAYTON, Ohio -- The Rite Aid Foundation has awarded a $20,000 grant to the SHOPA Kids In Need Foundation. The donation has been designated to support the New York Kids In Need Resource Center, which provides free school supplies to children and teachers from under funded urban schools in New York

The Rite Aid Foundation is the charitable organization of Rite Aid Corporation. The Rite Aid Foundation, founded in July 2001, is a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to helping people in the communities Rite Aid serves lead happier, healthier lives.

"One of Rite Aid's core values is to be a caring neighbor, involved in community activities in meaningful ways," said Dave Cardello, Rite Aid regional vice president. "I can't think of a better way to be involved than to give back to a wonderful community organization like SHOPA. Rite Aid is thrilled to be able to help provide school supplies to needy children in New York City."

"The Rite Aid Foundation has made a generous donation to support our newest Kids In Need Resource Center, and we are honored," said Scott Walters, executive director of the Kids In Need Foundation. "These funds will be used to put school supplies into the hands of children most in need. This donation means additional children will not have to worry about having the tools they need to do their work in school."

The SHOPA Kids In Need Foundation is observing its 10th year of operation in 2005. The SHOPA Foundation includes in its programming a Teacher Grants program, which awards grants to teachers for innovative classroom projects, and the Kids In Need Resource Centers, the purpose of which is to equip children whose families are not able to purchase school supplies and to help enhance the classroom with the items necessary for student successes at school.

Since 1997, when the first Resource Center was opened in Chicago, the program has distributed $150 million worth of school supplies and now serves 1.1 million children nationwide each year. The National Network of Resource Centers now includes 21 Centers that are located in Atlanta, Beaumont (TX), Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Newark, New York, North Texas, Orlando, Phoenix, Scarborough (ME), Seattle, South Florida, St. Louis, Tampa, and Washington, D.C.

Rite Aid Corporation is one of the nation's leading drugstore chains with annual revenues of more than $16.6 billion and approximately 3,400 stores in 28 states and the District of Columbia. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through the company's Web site at www.riteaid.com.

The SHOPA Kids In Need Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization, founded in 1995 by the School, Home, & Office Products Association (SHOPA) to recognize, promote, and support initiatives that foster educational excellence. Organizational and program information can be found on their Web site at www.kidsinneed.net.

SHOPA, founded in 1991, is a nonprofit trade association representing nearly 1,500 manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, retailers, wholesalers, distributors, commercial/contract stationers, and service companies involved in the production, distribution, and sale of school supplies and office products. The Association also produces SBTS (SHOPA Buyer-to-Seller) marketplace events, which facilitate pre-scheduled and one-on-one meetings. SHOPA, in cooperation with Messe Frankfurt and PROPAPER, is producing Paperworld USA in November, the international trade event for the school, home, and office products industry. For more information, visit the Web site at www.shopa.org.