Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

Aaron’s “Own Your Summer” Camp Scholarship Program Sends 100 Underserved Youths to Overnight Summer Camp

Aaron’s, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a leader in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, announced the Aaron’s “Own Your Summer” Camp Scholarship Program today which will provide 100 underserved youths from Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Tennessee with scholarships to attend overnight summer camp. Aarons Gives Back Aaron’s “Own Your Summer” Camp Scholarship Program was designed to provide underserved youth with an opportunity to learn the life lessons of developing confidence, team work and decision-making skills that happen during overnight summer camp experiences. “There are many benefits that overnight summer camps provide young people with including new opportunities to learn and grow while developing the leadership skills needed to become successful, community-building adults,” said Andrea Freeman, Vice President of Marketing, Aaron’s, Inc. “While attending overnight summer camp, these young people will learn to make choices without the aid of their parents, helping them build self-reliance, develop active lifestyle habits that promote good health and learn pro-social behaviors. They will develop friends for life and learn to how to live cooperatively with other youths. With this scholarship program, we’re providing 100 youths with an opportunity to grow these needed life skills, offering them a better outlook on life.” Research conducted by the American Camp Association (www.acacamps.org) shows that summer camps build skills that prepare campers to develop roles as successful adults. Studies show that youths learn key developmental skills at summer camp including 1) leadership, communication and participation as social skills; 2) responsibility, resourcefulness and resilience as self-respect and character building skills; and 3) caring, fairness, citizenship and trustworthiness as community living and service skills. The following camps located in five states will each receive approximately $10,000 from Aaron’s Foundation, Inc. providing 100 underserved youths an experience away from home with their peers to focus on building lifetime friendships and unplugged learning through exploring nature:
  1. The Camp Grace (http://thecampgrace.com/): Located outside of Macon, Georgia, Camp Grace’s 300-acre retreat has established an environment that creates dreams, changes hearts and inspires life change. Camp Grace and its partners are dedicated to transforming the lives of urban youth in their communities by working with campers year-round after attending summer camp.
  2. Camp Atwater (www.campatwater.org): Serving youth for 96 years, Camp Atwater is a residential summer camp for boys and girls, ages 8-15 years, and located in North Brookfield, Massachusetts. Camp Atwater’s mission is to assist in the academic and social growth and development of youth by offering a quality residential camp experience within a safe, nurturing and Afrocentric environment.
  3. YMCA Camp Harrison (www.campharrison.org): YMCA Camp Harrison is a co-ed resident overnight camp for kids ages 6-16 and is located in the lush, serene North Carolina mountains, 90 miles from Charlotte. With 2,000 acres of woods, streams, and trails centered around a private lake, Camp Harrison is the perfect retreat for youths to explore nature and make new friends and in a fun, safe environment.
  4. Girl Scouts Louisiana East Camps (www.gsle.org/camp): Girl Scouts Louisiana East owns and operates two summer resident camps in southeast Louisiana. Camp Marydale and Camp Whispering Pines provides adventure, self-esteem, leadership skills, friends and fun for girls entering 1st through 12th grade with activities ranging from canoeing, kayaking, swimming, horseback riding, high/low ropes, building campfires, investigating a mystery and moonlit scavenger hunts.
  5. YMCA Camp Widjiwagan (www.campwidji.org): Located on 320 beautiful acres on Percy Priest Lake just outside Nashville, YMCA Camp Widjiwagan is owned and operated by the YMCA of Middle Tennessee. YMCA Camp Widjiwagan’s Overnight Camp is the heart and soul of the summer camp experience where imagination comes alive. Campers participate in exciting programs focused on developing various skills of their own choosing.
Aaron’s has a long legacy of giving back, a commitment that was started by founder Charlie Loudermilk and continues today through Aaron’s Gives (www.AaronsGives.com) philanthropic efforts including Aaron’s Foundation, Inc. and the Aaron’s Community Outreach Program (ACORP). The Aaron’s Foundation, Inc. mission is to commit to strengthening the communities in which Aaron’s operates, with a focus on improving the life prospects of at-risk youth. Aaron’s provides at-risk youth with the tools, resources and skills to achieve their goals and to become productive, contributing members of their communities. Visit Aaron’s on Facebook and on Twitter for more information.

Upcoming Events




Mike Lewis

Mike Lewis is a Premier Rental Purchase franchisee with multiple stores and currently serves as Vice President of Operations. With 33 years of experience in the rent-to-own industry, he has spent the past 20 years working closely with franchisee owners and previously spent 12 years in Corporate RTO, gaining a strong foundation in the business.

For the past five years, Mike has been sharing his knowledge by teaching managers and franchisees at the company’s Training Center.

Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, kids, and grandkids, and appreciates the simple things in life – especially riding his Harley Davidson with the sun on his face. If you know, you know!

Lauren Talicska

Arona Corporation dba Arona Home Essentials

Lauren Talicska is an experienced multi-channel marketing specialist and the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Arona Home Essentials. She has found her home in the RTO community, supporting stores in branding, growth, and increasing traffic.

You may recognize Lauren as a former RTO vendor, including her time as a partner for Nationwide RentDirect, or her previous participation in the APRO Vendor Advisory Committee. Lauren calls Columbus, Ohio, home and spends her workday crafting and executing marketing promotions from inception to realization, all while supporting the branding and social media needs of all the Arona stores in 12 states (plus Puerto Rico!).

Charles Smitherman

APRO

Charles Smitherman, JD, PhD, CAE, became CEO of APRO in 2023, bringing years of legal and executive experience in the rent-to-own industry. 

Prior to joining the association, Charles served as COO, General Counsel, and Vice President of PTS Financial Services, where he played an active role in the rent-to-own industry by representing his company through PTS’s club program offering with APRO member dealers. Charles is an attorney with two decades of experience across a wide variety of areas, including RTO, consumer financial services, antitrust, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, franchise law, and privacy law. Following law school at the University of Georgia, Charles earned a Master of Legal Studies and PhD in Law from the University of Oxford in England.

Charles is credentialed as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) with the American Society of Association Executives, a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) with the International Franchise Association, and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals. As APRO’s sixth CEO in its 45-year history, he brings a collaborative, member-focused approach to association leadership, emphasizing transparency, advocacy, and value creation. Outside of work, Charles is an active ultra runner and open water swimmer.

Mike Kays

Ashley Furniture Industries

As VP of Rental Sales for Ashley Furniture Industries, Mike thrives on building relationships with our RTO industry veterans, and helping businesses grow through new product, new marketing, and new supply chain options.

Mike works to leverage a wide breadth of relationships and influence, intimate knowledge of market trends, and unique knowledge of what RTO dealers need from a supplier to be successful.

The saying goes that a high tide raises all boats, and our goal is to leverage the world’s largest furniture manufacturer to drive the continued growth of the RTO industry and all the suppliers.

Mike Tissot

Countryside Rentals Inc., dba Rent-2-Own

Mike grew up in the rent-to-own industry under the guidance of his father, former APRO President and RTO legend Darrell Tissot. For nearly 25 years, Mike’s innovative leadership has helped expand the family business to more than 40 stores across Ohio and Kentucky while also shaping the industry as a whole.

He has served as President of the Ohio Rental Dealers Association, an APRO board member and Treasurer, and President and Treasurer of the TRIB Group. His contributions have earned him the APRO President’s Award of Excellence and the title of APRO Rental Dealer of the Year.

Outside of RTO, Mike enjoys time at the lake house or in Orange Beach, Alabama, with his girlfriend, Angela Strong McCool. A passionate Cincinnati Reds fan, he rarely misses a game, whether watching or listening alongside his parents. He also takes every opportunity to visit Arizona, where his daughter is currently attending Arizona State University.