Aaron's focuses on outreach during conference
By Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, April 5, 2010
DALLAS —
Rent-to-own giant Aaron's once again turned its annual national meeting of store managers into a big community outreach effort.
More than 2,000 Aaron's employees were in Dallas for the event last week and dedicated $300,000 and 5,600 hours in products and services to Dallas/Fort Worth-area charities.
Texas is one of Aaron's largest and fastest-growing markets, the company said in a press release, adding that holding the meeting here was “a natural choice, allowing Aaron's associates to assist thousands of Dallas/Fort Worth residents during the two-day outreach projects.”
Among the events planned was a Wounded Warriors 5K Walk/Run to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project, a national organization supporting wounded veterans. Aaron's associates raised more than $77,755 for the group, beating a $10,000 goal.
Other beneficiaries of the Aaron's associates' work included:
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The SpiritHorse Therapeutic Center in Corinth, Texas, which provides therapeutic horseback riding for people with disabilities, children who are victims of abuse, at-risk youth and battered women.
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A blood drive at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, Texas.
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The Dallas VA Medical Center and the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department.
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The North Texas Food Bank. Associates packed food in boxes and Aaron's trucks delivered them to area pantries and shelters.
Also, in partnership with Toms Shoes, Aaron's bought 250 pairs of shoes for students at a Dallas school. Toms is matching the donation with another 250 pairs, going to children in a poverty-stricken country.
Last year, Aaron's conducted its outreach meeting in Washington, D.C., partnering with the Armed Forces Foundation, Walter Reed Army Medical Center and other groups.
“In recent years, as we've brought together this large number of managers at the national meeting, they began asking if they could spend part of the meeting focused on giving back to the community,” said Ken Butler, the company's chief operating officer.
Separately, Aaron's noted that it recently opened its 1,700th store, an 8,000-square-foot company-owned unit in Covington, La. President and CEO Robin Loudermilk said the store “demonstrates the success the company has experienced in spite of the faltering economy we've seen over the past few years.”
Aaron's says it plans to increase its store count 5% to 9% this year.
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Aaron's associates giving back to Dallas/Fort Worth
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