100 Kids Experience Aaron’s “Own Your Summer” Camp Scholarship Program
Aaron’s, Inc., a leader in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, celebrated its first year of sending 100 underserved kids to overnight camp in five states through the Aaron’s “Own Your Summer” Scholarship Program.
Aaron’s “Own Your Summer” Camp Scholarship recipient, Neville Williams, 13, of Charlotte, N.C. spoke about his overnight camp experience at Camp Harrison this summer. A hundred kids were able to go to overnight camp this summer because of Aaron’s “Own Your Summer” Camp Scholarship Program.
“Overnight camps provide such a wonderful and meaningful experience for kids whose families are able to afford camp, and we’re proud to be able to bring this experience to these young leaders who wouldn’t have this life-changing opportunity without a scholarship,” said Andrea Freeman, Aaron’s Vice President of Marketing. “We set a goal to impact 100 kids by providing them with an experience that would help them grow, and we were able to send them to five amazing camps that are shaping our future leaders.”
At the overnight camps this summer, the scholarship recipients were able to try experiences that build character, leadership skills and confidence. The kids said they were able to participate in activities completely new to them like horseback riding, archery, fishing and building campfires. The kids also said they learned valuable life skills including how not to give up and how to tear down personal walls so that they could focus on building friendships.
YMCA day campers celebrate the end of summer at the McCrorey Family YMCA in Charlotte, N.C. A hundred kids were able to go to overnight camp this summer because of Aaron’s “Own Your Summer” Camp Scholarship Program.
“At camp, you have to practice a lot of leadership and learning to take charge of your own responsibilities; that’s going to impact me for a while,” said a Camp Grace scholarship recipient.
Overnight camps also create events that help the kids establish a sense of community. The Camp Grace hosts an annual food fight where campers get to truly enjoy being a kid and make great memories while building friendships that last for a lifetime.
Aaron’s “Own Your Summer” Camp Scholarship Program was designed to provide underserved kids with an opportunity to learn the life lessons of developing confidence, team work and decision-making skills that happen during overnight summer camp experiences. In its first year, Aaron’s partnered with five camps in Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Tennessee to give $50,000 in scholarships to 100 underserved kids.
(Left to Right): Dave Purcell, Camp Harrison’s Executive Director; Mark Rubright, Aaron’s Regional Manager; Andrea Freeman, Aaron’s Vice President of Marketing; and Gwen Tolman, YMCA of Charlotte’s Financial Development Director of Camping Services stand with Aaron’s “Own Your Summer” Camp Scholarship recipients Neville Williams, Sabrina Blackburd, Imani Eason, Savannah Johnson and Elijah Alston.
The five camps each received $10,000 to send between 10-35 kids to overnight camp: The Camp Grace(http://thecampgrace.com/), Camp Atwater (www.campatwater.org), YMCA Camp Harrison (www.campharrison.org), Girl Scouts Louisiana East Camps (www.gsle.org/camp) and YMCA Camp Widjiwagan (www.campwidji.org).
To learn more about Aaron’s “Own Your Summer” Scholarship Program, visit www.AaronsGives.com and see Aaron’s “Own Your Summer” Camp Scholarship video here.
About Aaron’s, Inc.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron’s, Inc. (NYSE: AAN) is a leader in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, and currently has more than 1,940 Company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states and Canada. Progressive Leasing, a leading virtual lease-to-own company, provides lease-purchase solutions through approximately 16,000 retail locations in 46 states. Dent-A-Med, Inc., d/b/a the HELPcard®, provides a variety of second-look credit products that are originated through a federally insured bank. Aaron’s was founded in 1955, has been publicly traded since 1982 and owns the Aarons.com, ProgLeasing.com, and HELPcard.com brands. For more information, visit www.aarons.com.
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.
