VSA arts and CVS Caremark Team Up to Show that All Kids Can Create National Call for Art by Youth with and without Disabilities

January 22, 2008

WASHINGTON, January 22, 2008 – VSA arts has partnered with CVS Caremark All Kids Can, a program of the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust and CVS Caremark, to encourage children and youth to share their creativity through a national call for visual art. Joined by a mutual commitment to children with disabilities, the new project advances the role of the arts in inclusive education. “All Kids Can … CREATE” invites all children across the United States ages 5 to 15 to create a piece of visual art. VSA arts’ affiliates will conduct local arts-based initiatives which will culminate in a national exhibition in Washington, D.C., in June 2008, as part of VSA arts’ annual Start with the Arts Family Festival.

The call to create is the result of a partnership between VSA arts and CVS Caremark All Kids Can and part of a yearlong campaign to encourage learning and community engagement through creating art. Through this campaign, young people will create original artwork, artist-in-residence programs in schools will expand access and document learning through the arts for students with disabilities, and CVS Caremark employees will lead volunteer activities that engage their communities and/or schools in building inclusive environments.

“Through this call, CVS Caremark All Kids Can continues its goal of helping children of all abilities to play, learn and succeed together,” said Eileen Howard Dunn, senior vice president of Corporate Communications and Community Relations for CVS Caremark. “We’re excited to partner with VSA arts to promote disability awareness, and to encourage children to explore new activities, change perceptions, and discover their inner artist.”

“I am delighted that we’re collaborating with CVS Caremark to expand arts-based programming for children with disabilities at the student level, the school level, and the national level throughout the country,” said Soula Antoniou, president of VSA arts. “We applaud their commitment to children with disabilities and are excited about working together on All Kids Can.”

There are no limits to what a participant can create. Children are invited to use both traditional and non-traditional art-making materials. CVS/pharmacy stocks a wide range of items that can be useful for the artist while creating his or her work, such as markers, watercolors, fabric, and even hair rollers. To be eligible for consideration, two-dimensional artwork can range in size from 3 x 5 inches to a maximum of 18 x 24 inches. Three-dimensional artwork should not exceed 18 x 18 x 18 inches.

There is no fee. Entries must be received via digital photograph by March 14, 2008. For more information concerning guidelines and entry instructions, please visit www.vsarts.org/allkidscan.

About 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 190,000 employees plan to 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 www.cvsallkidscan.com.

About the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust
The CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, Inc. is a private foundation created by CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE: CVS). CVS Caremark is the No. 1 provider of prescriptions and related healthcare services in the nation. The Trust's mission is to provide funding for health care, education and community involvement initiatives in communities where CVS/pharmacy stores are located. General information about CVS Caremark is available through the Investor Relations portion of the Company's Web site at http://investor.cvs.com, or through the Web site's press room at www.cvs.com/pressroom.

About VSA arts
VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to create a society where people with disabilities learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts. VSA arts provides educators, parents, and artists with resources and the tools to support arts programming in schools and communities. VSA arts showcases the accomplishments of artists with disabilities and promotes increased access to the arts for people with disabilities. Each year millions of people participate in VSA arts programs through a nationwide network of affiliates and in 55 countries around the world. VSA arts is an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. For more information, please visit www.vsarts.org

Media Contact:

Stephanie Taylor/VSA arts
(202) 628-2800 ext. 3883
SKTaylor@vsarts.org