Rite Aid Awards Free Gas for a Year to First Three Winners In Rite Aid "Fill Up and Fuel Up" Promotion

First three of 31 weekly prize winners announced in Rite Aid “Fill Up and Fuel Up” Contest;

Those Transferring a Prescription to Rite Aid Receive a $30 Rite Aid Gift Card and

Chance to Win a Year’s Worth of Gas in Weekly Chainwide Drawing

“It couldn’t happen at a better time ... better odds than the lottery,” say the winners

Camp Hill, PA .- Rite Aid has announced the first three winners in its “Fill Up & Fuel Up” program running through Jan. 10, 2009. They are the first of 31 lucky prize winners to be chosen in a chainwide weekly drawing to receive a Gas Gift Card totaling $2,600, good at any gas station. Winners to date are from Stone Mountain, Georgia; Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania; and Monroe, Michigan.

Customers redeeming a “Fill Up & Fuel Up” coupon available in Rite Aid weekly circulars and other advertising and promotions materials receive a $30 Rite Aid gift card immediately for transferring a prescription. They continue to be eligible for weekly drawings for a year’s worth of free gas through Jan. 10, 2009, as long as their transferred prescriptions stay with Rite Aid. Every prescription transferred with a coupon gives the customer another chance to win.

“It couldn’t have come at a better time” was the mantra of all three winners. None could believe their good fortune when told they were the winners of the weekly drawing for the $2600 gas card for doing something as simple as transferring a prescription. “Better odds than the lottery,” said one. One had just changed jobs and insurance companies and had to choose a new doctor and new pharmacy around the time the sweepstakes debuted. One hadn’t driven for nearly two weeks because she didn’t have gas money.

“It has been heartwarming to hear the stories about the winners,” said John Learish, Rite Aid senior vice president of marketing, who came up with the idea of the company’s gas promotion. “People have to make choices about spending, and in some cases because of the cost of gas it’s starting to impact their spending on prescriptions. We’re in the healthcare business, and if we can give them a way to ease the burden of the cost of gas, that allows them to take care of themselves and maintain a healthy lifestyle.”

This sweepstakes is available in all states in which Rite Aid operates, except New York and New Jersey because of state law. The offer is only valid on prescriptions not previously filled at or transferred from other Rite Aid locations. Certain other exceptions apply. Information on the sweepstakes is available in the Rite Aid weekly circulars or by asking Rite Aid pharmacists. Details also are available at www.riteaid.com.