Aaron Rents Launches Largest Community Outreach Effort During National Manager's Meeting in Nation's Capitol
April 13 2009 - 7:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Aaron's Makes Dreams Come True for U.S. Veterans and Families
ATLANTA, April 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Aaron Rents, Inc.
(NYSE:RNT), the nation's leader in the sales and lease ownership,
specialty retailing and rental of residential and office furniture,
consumer electronics and home appliances and accessories, hosts its
largest Company-wide community outreach mission to date on April
14th in Washington D.C. Two thousand Aaron's associates will invest
5,600 hours and $500,000 in product and service donations. Aaron's
will partner with The Armed Forces Foundation during three of the
seven outreach projects taking place throughout the day. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090413/CL97699LOGO ) "It was
fortuitous that at last year's annual meeting, we asked how many
Aaron's associates were veterans, and were proud to learn of the
large number of Armed Forces veterans we have as part of our
Company," said Robert C. Loudermilk, Jr., Aaron's President and
Chief Executive Officer. "The work ethic, dedication and commitment
to making the community a better place is part of the DNA of our
Company. This attitude of service certainly represents the mindset
of our associates who are veterans and the many men, women and
their families currently serving as active members of our
military." Challenged 10 years ago by the Company's founder, R.
Charles Loudermilk, Sr., Aaron's executives created ACORP, Aaron's
Community Outreach Program. Through ACORP, Aaron's associates have
donated thousands of hours of associate time to community service
projects in more than 1,600 cities across the U.S. and $6.7 million
in goods and services donations. "As a Company philosophy, Aaron's
made a commitment a decade ago to give back to each and every
community where we're located in order to make our cities a better
place to live," said R. Charles Loudermilk, Sr., Chairman, Aaron's.
"During this year's three-day National Manager's Meeting in
Washington D.C., 2,000 of our associates choose to spend a full day
in a Company-wide community outreach effort. This expression of
giving exemplifies the caliber of associates that are the strength
of this Company." "As the largest community outreach effort Aaron's
has committed to in a single day, the Company is proud that we can
invest in the lives of veterans and their families who reside or
are recovering in our nation's capitol," said Ken Butler, Chief
Operating Officer, Aaron's. "Our associates will return to their
own communities energized and knowing that they made the dreams of
many veterans and their families come true." "When 2,000 Aaron's
associates, senior executives and a host of corporate and
foundation partners converge on Washington D.C. in April to invest
their time, heart and enthusiasm into making the lives of so many
veterans and their families better, the impact will be powerful,
immediate and have a long-term impression," said Patricia Driscoll,
President, Armed Forces Foundation. "Often soldiers are taken care
of but their families might become overlooked. The Armed Forces
Foundation supports military families in their time of greatest
need." "The men and women who choose to serve in our nation's
military deserve our full support as they return from active duty,"
said Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA). "Aaron's has built a company-wide
program to give back to local communities - it's vividly apparent
that this corporate value helps contribute to their continued
success." "Our military men and women make tremendous sacrifices
every day for freedom and democracy," said Sen. Saxby Chambliss
(R-GA). "I'm pleased Aaron's is taking the initiative to give back
to a community that deserves our fullest support. I applaud Aaron's
leadership and philanthropy." Aaron's 2009 Washington D.C.
Community Outreach Events 1. Bethesda Naval Medical Center: 8901
Rockville Pike; Bethesda, MD 20889 9:00 a.m. until 1 p.m.: For
generations, the Bethesda Naval Medical Center has been a trusted
source of military medicine for uniformed service members and their
families. It is one of the nation's largest and most renowned
military medical centers, best known for its history of providing
care to war heroes and presidents alike for the past 65 years. In
order to create an atmosphere that fosters independent living,
Aaron's associates, executives and corporate and foundation
partners will outfit four rooms with donated products including
laptops, reclining chairs, and specially designed appliances that
make cooking and meal preparation easier for soldiers who may have
physical limitations and challenges. A new gaming room will help
soldiers with hand-eye coordination found to be an important part
of therapy. The donated products and modified appliances help
improve the lives of our soldiers and their families during their
recovery process. 2. The Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center:
Project completed by Aaron's associates on April 4, 2009 The Hunter
Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, located in Richmond, Virginia, is
a 399-bed facility offering primary, secondary, and tertiary health
care in medicine, surgery, neurology, rehabilitation medicine,
intermediate care, acute and sustaining spinal cord injury, skilled
nursing home care, and palliative care. Aaron's associates living
in the Richmond area completed painting and outfitting four rooms
earlier in April with donated products. 3. National Mall: 15th
Street at Constitution Avenue, NW; Washington, D.C. 20004 9:00 a.m.
until 11:30 a.m.: Aaron's volunteers will work with the National
Park Service to provide landscaping services. Aaron's associates
will enhance the National Mall and the beautiful and scenic
greenspace available to the public. Benches will be painted along
the reflecting pool between the Washington Memorial and the
Capitol, flowers and plants will be added and park visitors will
enjoy the restful stops along the National Mall as they visit
national monuments. 4. Shoes That Fit at Anne Beers Elementary:
3600 Alabama Avenue; Washington, D.C. 20020 9:00 a.m. until noon:
Shoes That Fit is a program designed to provide children with new
shoes so that they can attend school in comfort and with dignity.
Aaron's will provide a brand new pair of shoes to 350 children and
70 adults at Anne Beers Elementary school. The children will enjoy
meeting former Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills Player, Keion
Carpenter with Carpenter's House and other NFL Friends plus Scorpio
Brown and other Baltimore Arena Football Players. Always wagging
his tail for smiles, Aaron's Official Mascot, Lucky Dog, will be
there as well. For this exciting event, the "While You Were Out
Group" (WYWO) Shoes That Fit will partner with the local Washington
D.C. and Baltimore shoe stores to make sure every child receives a
new pair of shoes. 5. Walter Reed Appreciation Day at the Fisher
House: 6900 Georgia Avenue NW; Washington, D.C. 20307 9:00 a.m.
until 1 p.m.: The Fisher House at Walter Reed is a unique residence
that supports some of America's military families in their time of
need. The program recognizes the special sacrifices of our men and
women in uniform and the hardships of military service by meeting a
humanitarian need beyond that normally provided by the Departments
of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Aaron's volunteers will perform
site improvements in order to preserve and enhance green space for
the families residing in the Fisher House including spreading mulch
in the playground area, weather proofing and reassembling the
playhouse and general landscaping. 6. Walter Reed Appreciation Day
at the Mologne House: 6900 Georgia Avenue NW, Bldg. 20; Washington,
D.C. 20307 9:00 a.m. until 1 p.m.: The Mologne House provides a
short-term lodging facility for military family members and
retirees visiting Walter Reed and Washington. During the Walter
Reed Appreciation Day, NASCAR driver, David Reutimann, Nationwide
driver, Ken Butler, III (KBIII), as well as MLB player, Jesus
Flores of the Washington Nationals, will be on-site signing
autographs. Aaron's corporate partner, Sprint, will provide "call
anywhere" phone kiosks for the families. Returning soldiers
recovering at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center will enjoy food,
fun and games. Soldiers and their families can take photos with
special guests, Aaron's Official Mascot, Lucky Dog, and the #00
Aaron's Dream Machine Showcar. 7. Wounded Warriors 5K Walk/Run:
Gaylord National at 201 Waterfront Street National Harbor; MD 20745
8:30 a.m. until noon: In honor of the incredible sacrifices made by
the brave men and women in all branches of the United States
Military, Aaron's will proudly host its first ever Wounded Warrior
5K to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project, a national organization
supporting wounded veterans. Wounded veterans, Aaron's associates
and invited guests with a patriotic spirit are participating as
competitive or leisure walkers or runners. Wounded veterans will
serve as the honored leaders of the 5K Walk/Run at the Start Line,
along with Dominique Dawes, former Olympic Gold Medalist and
Washington D.C. resident, who will serve as the Honorary Athlete of
the 5K Walk/Run. In addition to the 5K Walk/Run, Aaron's will
contribute $10,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project. Following this
event, a one month in-store promotion will continue Aaron's efforts
to raise money and create awareness for the Wounded Warrior
Project. About Aaron Rents, Inc.: Aaron Rents, Inc.
(NYSE:RNTNYSE:andNYSE:RNT.A), the nation's leader in the sales and
lease ownership, specialty retailing and rental of residential and
office furniture, consumer electronics and home appliances and
accessories has more than 1,575 Company-operated and franchised
stores in 48 states and Canada. Founded in 1955 by entrepreneur R.
Charles Loudermilk, Sr. and headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron's has
been publicly traded since 1982. About the Armed Forces Foundation:
The Armed Forces Foundation (AFF) was established in 2001 as a 501
(c) 3 nonprofit organization and is a part of the U.S. Department
of Defense's America Supports You Program. AFF supports active-duty
and retired personnel, National Guard, Reserve components and
military families during their time of greatest need. With 14
programs, The Armed Forces Foundation assists with food, rent,
hotel rooms for families visiting a wounded loved one, holiday
gifts for military children, among others. The Armed Forces
Foundation has been recognized by The White House, the Department
of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Energy, the Department of
Education, and other nonprofits for its dedication and support of
America's Service Members. About Wounded Warrior Project: Wounded
Warrior Project is a non-profit organization whose mission is to
honor and empower wounded warriors. WWP serves to raise awareness
and enlist the public's aid for the needs of severely injured
service men and women, to help severely injured service members aid
and assist each other and to provide unique, direct programs and
services to meet their needs. For more information, please call 877
TEAM WWP (832-6997) or visit http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090413/CL97699LOGO
DATASOURCE: Aaron Rents, Inc. CONTACT: Garet Hayes, Office
+1-404-604-2602, Mobile +1-770-403-8720
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