• by Tanya Gazdik , August 12, 2014

CVS/pharmacy will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of select school products to Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Great Futures Campaign.

The retail division of CVS Caremark Corp. announced the cause marketing campaign Monday. From Aug. 10-23, CVS/pharmacy will donate 1% of purchases of school products, up to $125,000. Both organizations are publicizing the initiative on respective social media sites, as well as at www.greatfutures.org

The new initiative aims to raise awareness about the critical role of what children do before and after school. When school ends at 3 p.m. each day, 15 million kids in America have nowhere to go. Without a structured schedule after school, kids are left unguided, unsupervised, and potentially unsafe. They are more prone to violence, childhood obesity, and dropping out of high school, according to the charitable organization.

The Great Futures Campaign aims to open more doors for America's kids and encourage them to learn, inspire them to lead, and motivate them to be healthy.

The partnership aligns with the mission of the CVS Caremark All Kids Can philanthropic program, which was created to help kids to be the best that they can be. Through All Kids Can, the company is committed to supporting nonprofit organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs of America that provide local communities with innovative programs and services focused on helping children succeed in life.

CVS Caremark and the charitable group both share a commitment to helping all kids on their path to better health, said Eileen Howard Boone, senior vice president of corporate social responsibility & Philanthropy at CVS Caremark.

"Through support of the Great Futures Campaign, CVS Caremark and our customers will help ensure that youth nationwide have a safe and nurturing environment where they can reach their full potential," Boone says in a release.

The 100-year-old Boys & Girls Clubs of America has more than 4,100 Clubs serving nearly 4 million young people annually.