Louie Castriota Receives The Rite Aid Foundation’s KIDCHAMPSM Award
April 24 2019 - 10:00AM
Business Wire
Founder of Leg Up Farm Honored for
Revolutionizing Treatment Programs for Children with Special
Needs
The Rite Aid Foundation announced today that Louie
Castriota, founder and chairman of the board of Leg Up
Farm, in York, Pennsylvania, has been awarded its KIDCHAMPSM
Award for his innovative vision and unwavering commitment to
provide children with special needs a comprehensive, convenient and
centralized location to receive specialized therapy. In recognition
of his service, Mr. Castriota received a $10,000 donation to Leg Up
Farm from The Rite Aid Foundation and $500 in Rite Aid gift cards
during a special ceremony at Leg Up Farm.
Leg Up Farm is a nonprofit therapy center for infants, children,
adolescents and young adults up to the age of 21 with special
needs. The center combines a state-of-the-art medical setting with
a child-friendly environment that caters to both children and their
families. Leg Up Farm provides comprehensive therapies all under
one roof by bringing therapists of different specialties together
to create customized programs with a team approach.
The Rite Aid Foundation created the KIDCHAMPSM Award in 2017 to
recognize individuals in communities served by Rite Aid. Winners
have made a meaningful difference in the lives of youth by
advocating for their health and wellbeing, championing education
and academic growth plus creating safe environments for children
and teens to live and grow. Mr. Castriota is the fifth recipient to
receive the award.
“Louie embodies what it means to be a champion for kids with
special needs. He not only recognized gaps in the availability and
affordability of services in the community, but also identified a
solution and worked nonstop to make it a reality,” said Bryan
Everett, chief operating officer of Rite Aid Corporation and a
member of The Rite Aid Foundation Board. “Thanks to Louie’s drive
and ambition, he has created a therapy center that is unlike any
other in the country, resulting in thousands of children having a
chance for better lives and brighter futures.”
Mr. Castriota and his wife, Laurie, first had the idea to open
Leg Up Farm as a therapeutic riding center in 1997, merging their
love of animals and children. Six months after their vision came to
fruition, their daughter Brooke was diagnosed with mitochondrial
disease, which causes both cognitive and motor function delays.
As they searched for the best treatment options for Brooke, the
Castriotas found services spread-out and lacking in integration and
convenience. That prompted them to significantly widen their vision
for Leg Up Farm and create a facility that was unlike any in the
nation.
Mr. Castriota officially opened Leg Up Farm in 2010, raising
more than $10 million in funding through a combination of private
contributions, public fundraising events, and federal, state and
foundation grants. Leg Up Farm is the only facility in the country
to provide physical, occupational, speech and aquatic therapy,
counseling, therapeutic horseback riding, nutritional, education
and recreational programming all under one roof. Since opening its
doors, Leg Up Farm has increased capacity. To date, the facility
has served more than 2,700 children with special needs and their
families.
“I am truly honored to receive the KIDCHAMPSM Award and I’d like
to thank The Rite Aid Foundation and KidCents for supporting our
efforts to provide life-changing services to children impacted by
special needs and their families,” said Mr. Castriota. “Providing a
comprehensive array of services in a convenient, affordable and
easily accessible location is critical to improving the overall
health and wellbeing of the children we serve. At Leg Up Farm, we
give kids the courage to dream. We can’t thank The Rite Aid
Foundation enough for helping us make those dreams come true.”
Through the KidCents program, members of Rite Aid's loyalty
program, wellness+ rewards, can round up their in-store or
online purchases to the nearest dollar and donate their change to
KidCents. Members can also choose to direct their change to a
specific KidCents charity by visiting www.kidcents.com. Through
KidCents’ Step Up Fund, The Rite Aid Foundation provides a matching
donation of $500 for every $500 a charity raises in contributions
through the wellness+ rewards program, up to a maximum of
$5,000. For more information, visit www.kidcents.com.
Since its inception in 2001, The Rite Aid Foundation has awarded
more than $52 million to nonprofit organizations. Additionally,
Rite Aid, through the efforts of its customers, supplier partners
and associates, has also raised more than $92 million for
Children's Miracle Network Hospitals across the country since
1994.
About Rite Aid Corporation
Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) is one of the nation's leading
drugstore chains with fiscal 2019 annual revenues of $21.6 billion.
Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and
press releases, is available through the company's website
at www.riteaid.com.
About Leg Up Farm
The mission of Leg Up Farm is to enrich the lives of individuals
with special needs and their families through support and
customized programs. This is achieved by operating the only
pediatric therapy center in the country to provide physical,
occupational and speech therapy; counseling services; therapeutic
horseback riding; nutrition services; and, educational and
recreational programming, beneath one roof. Since 2010, Leg Up Farm
and its related programs have impacted the lives of over 2,700
children, teens, and adults with special needs. For more
information visit www.legupfarm.org.
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MEDIA:Rite AidChris
Savarese717-975-5718Christopher.Savarese@riteaid.com
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