ATLANTA, Dec. 6, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Aaron Rents, Inc. (NYSE:RNT), the nation's leader in the rental, sales and lease ownership, specialty retailing and rental of residential and office furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, today announced more furniture donations made in conjunction with Homes for the Holidays, a charitable program founded by NFL player Warrick Dunn that provides deserving single mothers with a completely furnished home.
At separate events in the Atlanta area, three mothers were surprised by the appearance of Warrick Dunn and stunned to learn they had been chosen as the recipients of Homes for the Holidays' generosity. Each woman received a home filled in every room with merchandise from Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership, including furniture, appliances and home electronics.
According to President Ken Butler, "Aaron's is very honored to help Warrick Dunn make dreams come true for these deserving women and their children, and we admire his commitment to positively affect the lives of single mothers during the holiday season."
The Atlanta-area Homes for the Holidays recipients included Ms. Tia Merriweather of Roswell, GA; Ms. Melinda Hutchins of Gainesville, GA; and Ms. Marsha Ford of Atlanta.
Ms. Merriweather earned her home with the help of Habitat for Humanity of North Fulton. She is a 27 year-old single mother of two who is a medical assistant for an Atlanta health clinic.
Ms. Hutchins is a 39 year-old single mother of three teenagers who earned her home with the help of Habitat of Humanity of Hall County. She is employed as a production worker.
Ms. Ford is a 34-year old single mother of three children who works as a medical records technician. She earned her home with the help of Atlanta Habitat for Humanity.
Homes for the Holidays looks for deserving single mothers across the country and then helps them acquire a home and furnish it with everything their family needs, right down to a fully-stocked pantry. Since NFL player Warrick Dunn founded the charity in 1998, more than 50 families have been recipients of this program. Recently, "The Sporting News" designated Warrick Dunn as its 2005 Good Guy in pro sports, mainly for his charitable work helping single mothers acquire and outfit homes for their families. Aaron's has been involved with the program since 2002, and has filled all the furniture, appliance and electronic needs of Homes for the Holidays since that time.
Aaron's stores offer customers access to high quality furniture, appliances, electronics and computers for sale or as a lease-ownership arrangement. Customers have the option of buying their merchandise for an attractive cash price, or opting to lease their merchandise for even greater flexibility. With a lease option, customers make modest monthly payments and have the immediate use of the items they need without waiting for credit checks or other delays. Plus, Aaron's will take care of delivery, set-up, repairs and more for the duration of a customer's lease.
Aaron Rents, Inc. (NYSE:RNT) is a leader in the sale and lease ownership of residential furniture, consumer electronics and home appliances, now with over 1,150 Company-operated and franchised stores in 46 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. The Company also manufactures an exclusive line of furniture, bedding and accessories at 10 facilities in four states.
CONTACT:
Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership
Mark A. Rudnick, Vice President, Marketing
(678) 402-3470
www.shopaarons.com
Sybil Elie, Homes for the Holidays Project Coordinator
(678) 402-3265