Rite Aid launches Rite Track Diabetes Tour that will travel to stores in the Northeast with goal of raising awareness, offering diabetes testing, resources, materials

Cindy Allen

CAMP HILL, Pennsylvania , October 28, 2011 (press release) – Rite Aid is taking its commitment to diabetes awareness, education and management on the road this November and December with the Rite Track Diabetes Tour. Offered in collaboration with LifeScan, Inc., the maker of OneTouch® Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems, the Rite Track Diabetes Tour will bring free diabetes testing, resources and materials to communities it serves across the Northeast.

The tour kicks off in New York City on November 1, in honor of American Diabetes Month, at 11 a.m. ET at the Rite Aid located at 301 W. 50th Street. Celebrity chef Sam Talbot, who has Type 1 diabetes, will be aboard the bus to share his own diabetes story and give away signed copies of his newly published cookbook, The Sweet Life: Diabetes Without Boundaries.

In New York City and every tour stop, attendees can step into the bus for a complimentary blood glucose test to help identify one’s risk for developing diabetes or an A1c test, which shows a person living with diabetes their average blood glucose over the past three months. They can also speak with a Rite Aid pharmacist about their test results and learn more about how Rite Aid can help them manage their diabetes. There also will be free educational materials as well as product samples and special offers available. Flu shots will also be available inside each Rite Aid pharmacy, subject to state regulations. Flu shots are $27.99 each and are covered by many insurance plans, including Medicare Part B.

The Rite Track Diabetes Tour will also be making over 30 stops at select Rite Aid pharmacies in Boston, Buffalo, Harrisburg, Norfolk, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Washington DC. Visit www.onetouch.com/RiteTrackTour for locations and times.

“The Rite Track Diabetes Tour is a great way for us to offer additional support to people with diabetes, whether they’ve been living with diabetes for years or have just recently been diagnosed,” said Robert Thompson, Rite Aid Executive Vice President, Pharmacy. “We want them to know they aren’t alone and that their Rite Aid pharmacists can help them successfully manage and live well with diabetes.”

The Rite Aid Foundation, Rite Aid’s not-for-profit foundation dedicated to helping people in the communities it serves, is making a $2,500 donation to the local chapter of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) serving the cities visited by the Rite Track Diabetes Tour, totaling $20,000. Rite Aid is a national sponsor of the ADA, which funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, its mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes.

Rite Aid has long been committed to raising awareness and funds to help find a cure for diabetes. Just last month, Rite Aid launched wellness+ for diabetes, a multi-faceted, free program that offers exclusive resources and savings to people living with diabetes and their caregivers. To sign up for wellness+ for diabetes or to learn more about Rite Aid’s focus on diabetes management, visit www.riteaid.com.

Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD) is one of the nation’s leading drugstore chains with approximately 4,700 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia with fiscal 2011 annual revenues of $25.2 billion. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through Rite Aid’s Web site at www.riteaid.com.

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