The Rite Aid Foundation announced Wednesday a $5,000 grant to St. Charles Health System in Bend, which will use the grant to cover lab work costs associated with Links4Health, a diabetes prevention and obesity awareness program for children.

?Rite Aid has long been committed to helping people living with diabetes,? said Gayle Rife, Manager of The Rite Aid Foundation. ?While there isn?t a cure for diabetes, it?s important for people ? especially children ? to know that they can still live well with diabetes. The Rite Aid Foundation is proud to support St. Charles Health System and its Links4Health program in its mission to empower and educate children with diabetes.?

St. Charles Health System owns and operates the St. Charles medical centers in Bend and Redmond, leases and operates Pioneer Memorial Hospital in Prineville and provides management services for Mountain View Hospital in Madras. St. Charles is a private, not-for-profit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon. For more information on the Links4Health program or St. Charles Health System, visit www.scmc.org.

?St. Charles recognizes that when a patient understands the various aspects of diabetes, that knowledge leads to better diabetes management and control,? said Alisha Fehrenbacher, Director of Community Health & Benefit for St. Charles Health System. ?We are so grateful for the support of The Rite Aid Foundation, which will allow us to educate children with diabetes, helping them understand and live with their disease.?

Rite Aid operates 71 stores in Oregon, including four in Crook and Deschutes counties.

The Rite Aid Foundation, founded in July 2001, is a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to helping people in the communities Rite Aid serves. Since its inception, The Rite Aid Foundation has awarded grants totaling more than $13 million to approximately 820 organizations in 488 communities. For more information on The Rite Aid Foundation, visit www.riteaid.com.

Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) is one of the nation?s leading drugstore chains with approximately 4,700 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia and fiscal 2012 annual revenues of $26.1 billion. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through the company?s website at www.riteaid.com.