Aaron's Demonstrates Commitment to Community though Minor League Baseball Sponsorship

BALTIMORE, July 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Aaron's today announced its sponsorship of the Aberdeen IronBirds, Class 'A' short season affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles based in Harford County, Md., for the 2013 baseball season.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130718/CL49204LOGO)

Following the recent opening of a store in Aberdeen, Md., Aaron's, a lease-to-own retailer specializing in the sales and lease ownership of residential furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, saw this partnership as an opportunity to become more involved in the community.

"We now have 24 locations in the state of Maryland, and what a better name to be affiliated with than the Ironman himself Cal Ripken Jr.," said Brock Roberts, Aaron's Divisional Vice President. "This partnership to support the Aberdeen IronBirds will further integrate ourselves into the Maryland community."

The partnership will enable the team to outfit their entire club level with Aaron's home furnishings, as well as all suites within the stadium. In return, Aaron's will receive a permanent branded destination in the seating bowl to operate the "Aaron's Best Seat in the House Promotion," in which the IronBirds upgrade a pair of lucky fans to sit in recliners and watch the game from the Open Air Cafe located directly behind home plate.

Aaron's will also be present throughout the ballpark through outfield wall signage, scoreboard messaging, website advertising, and on-site enter to win boxes for season long promotions including a grand prize sweepstakes of a full living room set giveaway. Other Aberdeen IronBirds sponsors include Under Armour, Pepsi and Chick-fil-A.

"We are excited about the relationship between Aaron's Inc. and the Aberdeen Ironbirds," said Glenn Valis, Vice President of Quality Control & Relationship Management at Ripken Baseball. "Each night, as the Ironbirds play a home game, the community can enjoy a relaxing experience in the club level and suites on the comforts of Aaron's furniture."

Ripken Stadium opened its gates in 2002 and is one of two teams in the history of baseball to sell out every home game in franchise history. Baseball veterans Bill and Cal Ripken, through their business Ripken Baseball, own and operate multiple Minor League Baseball teams and host numerous youth tournaments, camps and clinics at The Ripken Experience baseball complexes in Aberdeen, Md., and Myrtle Beach, S.C.  Coincidently, Ripken is a long-time customer of Aaron's and even used the store to help furnish his home when he moved to Miami.

"At Aaron's, we believe in giving back to the communities and customers we serve," said Roberts.

About Aaron's
Aaron's, a leader in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of residential furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, has more than 2,083 company-operated and franchised stores in 48 states and Canada. Founded in 1955 by entrepreneur and Chairman Emeritus R. Charles Loudermilk, Sr. and headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron's has been publicly traded since 1982. For more information, visit www.aarons.com.

Aaron's includes brands such as Aarons.com, GoRimco.com and HomeStagingbyAarons.com.

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SOURCE Aaron's