Boston, Mass. – Exhibitors at the 2016 National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Total Store Expo donated several thousand consumer goods to be dispersed to various charitable organizations throughout the Greater Boston community. The NACDS Total Store Expo was held August 6-9 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

NACDS worked with the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority’s (MCCA) Conventions C.A.R.E. (Community Assistance by Responsible Events) program, which is distributing the products to local nonprofit organizations to be dispersed to those in need. The donations included health and wellness products such as vitamins, medications, bandages and first aid supplies.

Conventions C.A.R.E. was established by the MCCA in 2010 to benefit local non-profits, convention and trade show exhibitors, and convention centers. Local nonprofits benefit from useful donations, while exhibitors are saved the time and expense of shipping goods after a show ends. The MCCA and its partners in turn help divert these items from local landfills, which supports the Authority’s commitment to sustainable practices.

“NACDS chain and supplier members are highly engaged in the communities in which they operate, and NACDS reflects that spirit by partnering with the host cities of our conferences in ways that include donations of health and wellness products,” said NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE. “We appreciate what the MCCA has done to create Conventions C.A.R.E., which really sets the standard for effectiveness in product donation programs.”

“As a state authority, we are committed to having a positive impact on our host communities by providing support to local non-profit organizations,” said David Gibbons, executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority. “I am very grateful to NACDS and their exhibitors for the generous donations that they have supplied to our local community health centers.”

Some of the nonprofit social service agencies that are benefitting from the contribution from NACDS are:
• Condon Community Center
• Gavin Foundation
• Labouré Center
• South Boston Community Health Center
• South Boston Neighborhood House
• Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program
• South Boston en Acción

“Whether it is medical equipment for our Nurse Assistant Training Program, or hygiene products for our Basic Needs Program, the MCCA has been a great support to the people we serve at the Labouré Center. We are grateful to NACDS for these donations and to have the MCCA as a community partner,” said Jake Bombard, Director Catholic Charities Labouré Center.

About the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)
NACDS represents traditional drug stores and supermarkets and mass merchants with pharmacies. Chains operate more than 40,000 pharmacies, and NACDS’ chain member companies include regional chains, with a minimum of four stores, and national companies. Chains employ more than 3.8 million individuals, including 175,000 pharmacists. They fill over 2.7 billion prescriptions yearly, and help patients use medicines correctly and safely, while offering innovative services that improve patient health and healthcare affordability. NACDS members also include more than 800 supplier partners and nearly 40 international members representing 13 countries. For more information, visit www.NACDS.org.

About the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA)
The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority owns and oversees the operations of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, the MassMutual Center in Springfield, MA and the Boston Common Parking Garage.  The BCEC and Hynes have earned a rare gold standard from the International Association of Congress Centres (AIPC), making Boston only the fourth city in North America and the 12th worldwide to have been awarded this top standard, the highest certification level a convention facility can achieve under strict AIPC guidelines.

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