CVS/pharmacy Donates 600,000 Diapers to LA Diaper Drive for Families in Need and Co-Hosts 'Los Angeles' Biggest Playdate'

WOONSOCKET, R.I. and LOS ANGELES, May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS/pharmacy, America's leading retail pharmacy, has made a record-breaking donation of 600,000 diapers to LA Diaper Drive, a volunteer organization that provides diapers to low-income families in the Los Angeles area through a network of community charitable organizations.  

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A portion of the diapers will be distributed by LA Diaper Drive at "Los Angeles' Biggest Playdate," a family festival co-hosted by CVS/pharmacy and LA Diaper Drive this Saturday at 10 a.m. at Rosecrans Park, 840 W. 149th Street, Los Angeles, Calif., about 10 miles south east of Los Angeles International Airport.

On hand to help distribute diapers will be actress Julie Bowen from the ABC hit series "Modern Family" and who represents Baby2Baby, a partner of LA Diaper Drive that supplies families with essential baby gear and clothing. The playdate will also include children's activities, refreshments and a CVS/pharmacy sponsored health fair that will provide up to $150 in free preventative screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and more.

Los Angeles' high unemployment rate - currently at 12.4 percent - means that many families lack essential needs such as food, clothing, utilities, and diapers. LA Diaper Drive strives to raise 400,000 diapers annually for distribution to its partner organizations, and the CVS/pharmacy donation of 600,000 diapers puts the organization well-above its goal for 2010.

"This diaper donation by CVS/pharmacy is our largest single donation by far - ever - and will allow us to give away more diapers in a single year than ever before," said Caroline Kuntz, co-founder of LA Diaper Drive. "An infant uses up to 12 diapers a day.  As many families in the Los Angeles area continue to struggle, these diapers really do relieve financial pressure that is on the parents for basic needs."

Remaining diapers will be distributed to families throughout the year by more than 20 of LA Diaper Drive's partner organizations, which provide the diapers as incentives to attend important life skills classes aimed at improving lives and promoting safe and healthy families.

"It costs about a hundred dollars a month to keep a child in diapers," said Bowen, who regularly volunteers with the Baby2Baby organization. "These diapers will make a huge impact at helping families meet basic needs while also encouraging and inspiring parents to make a better life for their families. I commend CVS/pharmacy for supporting Los Angeles families during this time of need."

"We know that so many families lack everyday necessities like diapers, which can become an overwhelming financial burden," said Eileen Howard Dunn, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications and Community Relations for CVS Caremark. "We are pleased to be able to support families throughout Los Angeles with this donation of 600,000 diapers and are so proud to play a role in giving back to our community during these challenging economic times."

The event site, Rosecrans Boundless Playground, provides access for children of all abilities to play together and was built in 2008 through a grant from the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust as part of the CVS Caremark All Kids Can program to enrich the lives of children with disabilities.

About CVS/pharmacy

CVS/pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Caremark Corporation, is America's largest retail pharmacy with more than 7,000 CVS/pharmacy and Longs Drug stores. CVS/pharmacy is committed to improving the lives of those we serve by making innovative and high-quality health and pharmacy services safe, affordable and easy to access, both in its stores and online at CVS.com. General information about CVS/pharmacy and CVS Caremark is available at http://info.cvscaremark.com.

About LA Diaper Drive

LA Diaper Drive provides diapers to low-income families in the Los Angeles area with an emphasis on fostering safe and healthy environments through education. We are an all-volunteer charity that is supported 100% by donations. In addition to relieving financial pressure from the parents, the diapers are often used as incentive to take important life skills classes aimed at improving lives and promoting safe and healthy families. For more information go to www.diaperdrive.com.

SOURCE CVS/pharmacy