Girls on the Run of Buffalo partnering with Rite Aid Foundation to impact lives

$10,000 grant to sustain programming, advance DEI initiatives

As the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates community-level health challenges, especially for underserved and vulnerable populations, The Rite Aid Foundation is partnering with Girls on the Run International to support the health and wellness of girls today and into the future.

As part of this commitment, Girls on the Run of Buffalo has received a grant of $10,000 from The Rite Aid Foundation to ensure continued programs and impact during the pandemic, as well as enhance its missions and efforts to serve diverse communities over the coming years. Girls on the Run of Buffalo, a nonprofit organization, stated it “serves third through eighth grade girls, providing a sense of belonging, opportunities for building friendships and programs that improve their overall health and wellness.

“Inspiring girls to be joyful, healthy and confident through a fun, experienced-based curriculum that creatively integrates running, Girls on the Run of Buffalo offers programming at more than 100 sites across Western New York and has transformed the lives of over 14,000 girls throughout its 11-year history.”

Matthew DeCamara, executive director of The Rite Aid Foundation, said, “Now more than ever, during a generation-defining pandemic, the health and wellness of our communities stands at the forefront. We’re humbled to support Girls on the Run as it adapts and develops new and innovative ways to impact the lives of girls. This organization embodies the foundation’s commitment to impacting children’s lives by building self-esteem, independence and resilience, and letting all children know what it means to be a kid. Working together, we can emerge stronger from this crisis.”

Girls on the Run of Buffalo will utilize the grant to ensure its evidence-based programming can continue through the pandemic while advancing its commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and access (IDEA) programs.

“Girls on the Run of Buffalo is thrilled to receive this funding from The Rite Aid Foundation, which will allow our organization to provide access to our transformational programming to more girls over the next year,” said Katie Joyce, council director at Girls on the Run of Buffalo. “The Girls on the Run lessons build resilience, confidence, empathy and self-awareness in girls through physical activity – all skills and abilities necessary to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic. This grant will ensure that girls across Western New York will have the opportunity to develop these critical life skills while also building connection and friendships with others.”

For more information on how to register as a participant or volunteer with Girls on the Run, visit www.gotrbuffalo.org.

The Rite Aid Foundation, the philanthropic organization of a leading health care company and neighborhood pharmacy, drives leadership and progress that, it said, “impacts the health and wellness of everyone in our communities. Working with a network of nearly 500 nonprofit organizations, the foundation has a special focus on underserved and disadvantaged populations and locations, advancing racial equity and serving as a catalyst for positive change.”

Rite Aid Corporation is on the front lines of delivering health care services and retail products to more than 1.6 million Americans daily. For more information, www.riteaid.com.