CVS Caremark Colleagues Get Hands-On to Build Greater Cincinnati’s First Boundless Playground for Children of All Abilities

COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, OHIO -  Sept. 18, 2009 - Today, CVS Caremark will mobilize more than 150 employee volunteers and members of the community to help construct a state-of-the-art inclusive Boundless Playground as part of a larger redevelopment at Clippard Park in Colerain Township. In partnership with Colerain Township Parks and Services Department and Boundless Playgrounds, construction of the playground is funded through a $225,000 grant from the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust as part of the Company's All Kids Can program. The new playground is scheduled to open in October, and a dedication ceremony will take place when the larger Clippard Park project is completed in Spring 2010.

"The addition of a Boundless playground to the redevelopment of Clippard Park ensures that the public space will be truly accessible to all residents of Colerain Township and beyond," said Colerain Township Board of Trustees President Jeff Ritter. "As a partner with the Colerain Parks and Services, Boundless Playgrounds and GameTime, CVS Caremark's investment in our community through funding and employee volunteers highlights the company's dedication to improving the lives of our residents."

Starting at 7:00 a.m. and ending in the early evening, more than 125 CVS Caremark employees from around Greater Cincinnati, including employees from nearby CVS/pharmacy stores, and about 25 community volunteers will begin constructing the pieces of a new playground that will replace a former play structure. The previous playground was more than 30 years old,  not universally accessible and in need of an update.

At 10:30, the volunteers will receive words of gratitude and encouragement from Jeff Ritter, President, Board of Trustees, Colerain Township; Bill Seitz, Ohio State Senator, 8th District; Boundless Playgrounds CEO Frederick Leone, and CVS Caremark Regional Manager Bob Comorosky.

"It's been exciting to be able to work with Colerain Township as they revitalize Clippard Park, and it's an honor to help provide them with Ohio's first CVS Caremark signature Boundless Playground," said Eileen Howard Dunn, Senior Vice President of Community Relations for CVS Caremark. "CVS Caremark is committed to helping children of allabilities through our All Kids Can program and we couldn't be prouder to see our mission underlined by the volunteerism of our own employees."

Currently there are five Boundless playgrounds in Ohio with four more under development. 

The Clippard Park Boundless Playground is designed to maximize play for everyone regardless of their abilities. Some unique features include: GameTime's exclusive double wide ramps which create ample space to allow kids of varying degrees of ability to play side-by-side; elevated sand tables and activity panels where everyone can gather; musical components which allow all children to enjoy an exciting sensory experience; and a GT Xscape System that provides rigor and challenge through various movement and climbing activities. In addition, swings with high backs and unitary surfacing underneath make this popular playground activity easily accessible.

CVS Caremark All Kids Can, a program of the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust and CVS Caremark, is dedicated to making life easier for children with disabilities. Since 2006, CVS Caremark All Kids Can has donated more than $2 million to the building of Boundless playgrounds across the country. CVS Caremark's signature playground projects include several $225,000 grants to open playgrounds in communities such as Colerain Township, Hartford, Conn. (opening this October) and Houston, Texas (opening this December), in addition to the recently opened signature playgrounds in Boston, Los Angeles and Dallas.

"By teaming with CVS Caremark to build a Boundless playground at Clippard Park, Colerain Township has placed itself at the forefront of the inclusive play movement," said Frederick Leone, Chief Executive Officer of Boundless Playgrounds. "Once the park is open, children and adults of all abilities will be able to play and learn together as one true community."  

CVS Caremark All Kids Can
All Kids Can, a program of the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust and CVS Caremark, is a five-year, $25 million commitment to support children with disabilities. The goals of All Kids Can are to support children with disabilities by raising awareness in schools and in local communities about the importance of inclusion, creating greater opportunities for physical activity and play, and providing access to medical rehabilitation and related services. CVS Caremark and its more than 215,000 employees help children with disabilities learn, play and succeed through partnerships with leading local and national nonprofit organizations such as Easter Seals and many others across the country. For more information, visit http://www.cvsallkidscan.com.

Boundless Playgrounds
Boundless Playgrounds is the nation’s leading nonprofit developer of truly inclusive playgrounds where children, with and without disabilities, can play together in a fun and welcoming environment. There are more than 150 Boundless playgrounds in 29 states and Canada with nearly 100 more under development. For more information about Boundless Playgrounds, visit www.boundlessplaygrounds.org.

Colerain Township Parks and Services Department
Colerain Township, the largest township in the state of Ohio, currently has a compliment of 10 parks and offers a variety of programming and events for residents of all ages to enjoy. Since 2002, the Parks & Services Department has enjoyed a period of tremendous renewal with the addition of three new parks, the renovation four existing parks, and our latest project, the renovation and expansion of Clippard Park, which has actively involved the community in developing a park uniquely suited to the needs of the surrounding neighborhood. The partnership with CVS Caremark and Boundless Playgrounds brings an exciting opportunity to the Township to ensure that residents of every ability have an opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. For more information
on Colerain Township Parks, please visit: www.coleraintwp.org/parks.cfm.