FRAMINGHAM, Mass., July 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Cumberland Farms, leading convenience and gasoline retailer, today announced the launch of its 2014 Cups for Kids campaign, a month-long fundraiser that will benefit pediatric care programs at several hospitals throughout the Northeast. During the month of August, five cents from every iced coffee or Chill Zone beverage purchased at specified locations will go directly to participating hospitals. To kick-off the month-long fundraising initiative, Cumberland Farms will host an event at Fenway Park in Boston on July 30^th where patients and families from each hospital will enjoy a private celebration and tour of Fenway Park before attending the Boston Red Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays game later that evening.

"We are excited to kick-off our annual Cups For Kids campaign, and there's no better place to celebrate than at Fenway Park with the deserving children who have benefitted from our partners' exceptional care," said Ari Haseotes, CEO of Cumberland Farms. "Our goal is to exceed the $100,000 fundraising total achieved during the 2013 campaign and to help even more children in the communities we serve this year."

For the first time since launching Cups for Kids, Cumberland Farms will be partnering with Floating Hospital For Children at Tufts Medical Center, a full service children's hospital in Boston with a mission to improve the lives of children and their families. Representing Floating Hospital for Children at the Cups For Kids kick-off celebration at Fenway Park will be Ava D'Ambrosio, a 10-year-old girl from Boxford, Massachusetts, who was diagnosed at age five with RAS Induced Leukoproliferative Disorder (RALD), a profoundly rare disease caused by gene mutation. After receiving a personalized treatment at Floating Hospital for Children based on her genetics, Ava is thriving and healthy today.

"We are so grateful to be a beneficiary of Cumberland Farms' annual Cups for Kids campaign this year and to partner with such a beloved local brand," said Rashed E. Durgham, MD, Interim Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Floating Hospital for Children. "We hope that Massachusetts communities will come out to support this wonderful fundraiser as the funds will go directly towards our efforts to treat cancer, heart disease, and provide other life-saving care for children."

A total of five hospitals in the Northeast will be participating in this year's Cups for Kids fundraiser:

• Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center
• Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock
• Albany Medical Center
• Connecticut Children's Medical Center
• Barbara Bush Hospital

Throughout the month of August, participating Cumberland Farms locations will track regional fundraising totals so customers can track the progress. For further information on Cups For Kids, please visit https://www.cumberlandfarms.com/doinggood/cupsforkids.aspx or follow Cumberland Farms on Twitter @CumberlandFarms.

About Cumberland Farms
Cumberland Farms makes life easier for busy people every day. What started in 1939 with a cow and a dream has grown into a network of convenience stores across 8 states. Three generations later, Cumberland Farms is still family owned and operated, and continues to reflect the values it was built upon: envisioning a better way to serve customers by providing the best possible products at the best possible prices. Whether you're buying a cold Chill Zone drink, a hot or iced cup of Farmhouse Blend Coffee, or filling the gas tank, convenience and customer service are key. Cumberland Farms also has a long heritage of giving back to the communities where it operates, from feeding the hungry and serving the disabled, to supporting local sports teams and fundraising. For more information, please visit us at http://www.cumberlandfarms.com or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cumberlandfarms.

About Tufts Medical Center
Tufts Medical Center is an exceptional, not-for-profit, 415-bed academic medical center that is home to both a full-service hospital for adults and Floating Hospital for Children. Conveniently located in downtown Boston, the Medical Center is the principal teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine. Floating Hospital for Children is the full-service children's hospital of Tufts Medical Center and the principal pediatric teaching hospital of Tufts University School of Medicine. Tufts Medical Center is affiliated with the New England Quality Care Alliance, a network of nearly 1,800 physicians throughout Eastern Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.tuftsmedicalcenter.org or www.floatinghospital.org.

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SOURCE Cumberland Farms