Aaron's Foundation Extends National Partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to Three-Year, $5 Million Commitment to Empower At-Risk Teens
ATLANTA, Aug. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a leader in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, on Monday announced that the Aaron's Foundation will renew its partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) with a three-year, $5 million commitment to the Keystone Club, its premier national teen leadership and character program. A special event was held to announce the expanded partnership at the Warren Boys & Girls Club in Atlanta and included a Keystone Club makeover valued at $25,000.
"Aaron's has a long tradition of giving back to the more than 2,000 communities where our stores are located across the country," said John Robinson, Aaron's Chief Executive Officer. "With 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs across the country, we believe this will continue to be a great partnership directly benefiting youth in the communities where both organizations have a presence. We've had a tremendous first year of partnership and with a new three-year commitment, Boys & Girls Clubs of America will be able to reach even more teens through the Keystone program."
"Our goal of ensuring that today's generation achieves the great futures of tomorrow wouldn't be possible without the support of Aaron's and other companies committed to helping kids and teens who need us most," said Jim Clark, President and Chief Executive Officer of BGCA. "We want to give young people a chance to contribute something of value to others and have a voice in how that gets done, and Aaron's support of Keystone helps gives young people this opportunity."
The new $5 million partnership agreement will run for three years and builds upon the successes the two organizations achieved in their initial one-year, $1 million partnership announced in May 2014. Similar to the Warren Club Keystone Teen Center makeover completed on Monday, Aaron's will donate furniture, electronics, and appliances to remodel 24 Clubs across the country over the next three years. This philanthropic partnership is Aaron's largest non-profit commitment to date and focuses on empowering teens to effect positive change in their Club and community through service projects and leadership.
The Aaron's Foundation partnership with BGCA's Keystone program includes sponsorship of the National Keystone Conference, bringing teens representing Keystone Clubs from around the globe together each year for character and leadership development. The 2015 conference was held in April, where more than 1,600 teens convened in Orlando, Florida, participating in workshops, exchange ideas, lead service projects and socialize with peers from various parts of the world. Teens helped plan and coordinate the conference. A committee of Keystone Club members drove the development of the conference topics, conducted debates, facilitated breakout sessions, and presided over the opening and closing sessions.
America's teens are in crisis. One in five students will not graduate from high school, costing our nation $159 billion over their lifetimes. Through Keystone and other BGCA programs, Aaron's is helping teens own their future by taking ownership of their life to achieve their potential. Aaron's hopes to inspire teens to "Own Their Future" through three principles:
- Own Your Path: No matter where you come from, the future is yours to decide.
- Own Your Decisions: Making good choices opens more doors for your future.
- Own Your Community: Use your talents to make an impact in your community.
Keystone Club is a program available to members ages 14-18 at Clubs nationwide and on BGCA-affiliated youth centers on U.S. military installations here and abroad. The program creates opportunities for teens to participate in a variety of developmental activities in education, career preparation and civic engagement. The program is an essential element of BGCA's strategy to engage and develop teens into productive citizens and leaders.
About Aaron's, Inc.
Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a leader in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, currently has more than 2,000 Company-operated and franchised stores in 48 states and Canada. Aaron's was founded in 1955, is headquartered in Atlanta and has been publicly traded since 1982. Progressive Leasing, a wholly owned subsidiary and leading virtual lease-to-own company, provides lease-purchase solutions through approximately 16,000 retail locations in 46 states. Aaron's, Inc. includes the Aarons.com, ShopHomeSmart.com and ProgLeasing.com brands. For more information, visit www.aarons.com.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,100 Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people annually through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun, friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at Facebook and Twitter.
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SOURCE Aaron's, Inc.
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