ATLANTA, June 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- More than
2,000 teen leaders from around the world gathered in Atlanta this past weekend for Boys & Girls
Clubs of America's 51st annual Keystone Conference presented by
Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN) a leading omnichannel provider of
lease-purchase solutions, and its divisions Aaron's and Progressive
Leasing. On Friday, nearly 100 teens participated in the "United We
Stand" panel along with Washington Redskins cornerback and Dancing
with the Stars finalist Josh Norman.
The panel focused on social issues teens are facing in their local
communities such as breaking-down stereotypes, LGBTQ equality, race
and ethnicity.
The theme of this year's conference is "What's the Move? Ignite
Change." Teens had the opportunity to discover their passion, let
their voice be heard and take action through various breakout
sessions over the past weekend. The National Keystone Conference is
led by an all-teen steering committee representing communities from
across the country and on U.S. military installations
worldwide.
"Every day, more than 600,000 teens walk through the door at a
Boys & Girls Club to get inspired and elevate their voice to
create change in their communities," said Jim Clark, President and CEO of Boys & Girls
Clubs of America. "Thanks to Aaron's, thousands of teens had the
opportunity to find their purpose, be a voice among their peers and
take key learnings from the conference back to their Clubs and
communities."
"Aaron's is proud of our national multi-year partnership with
Boys & Girls Clubs of America and we're so pleased that this
year's national Keystone Conference was held in our hometown of
Atlanta," said John Robinson, CEO of Aaron's, Inc. "The
Keystone Conference brought together 2,000 teens from Boys &
Girls Clubs around the world for teens to build leadership skills,
increase their awareness and appreciation of diversity and to
establish positive relationships with their peers from around the
globe. These teens are making an amazing impact through their
community projects that advocate change. We're so honored to
support and help them achieve their personal goals and their
Keystone Club outreach projects to ignite change in their
communities."
In 2015, the Aaron's Foundation, Inc. announced a three-year,
$5 million national partnership with
Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Keystone Program, helping teens
develop their character and leadership skills in hopes of helping
them reach their potential and creating positive change in the
community. Keystone Club teen centers provide members ages 14-18 an
environment to plan and participate in activities that focus on
community service, academic success, career preparation and teen
outreach.
Aaron's partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America's
Keystone Program inspires teens to "Own It" by taking ownership of
their choices to build the lives they deserve. The Aaron's and
Keystone Club "Own Your Future" campaign supports three
principles:
- Own Your Path: No matter where you come from, the future
is yours to decide.
- Own Your Decisions: Making good choices opens more doors
for your future.
- Own Your Community: Use your talents to make an impact
in your community.
To see photos of the 51st Keystone Conference, visit Boys &
Girls Clubs of America's Facebook page
(www.facebook.com/bgca.clubs) or Aaron's on Facebook
(www.facebook.com/aaronsinc), on Twitter
(www.twitter.com/AaronsInc) and at
www.aarons.com/aarons-gives.
About Aaron's, Inc.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), is a
leading omnichannel provider of lease-purchase solutions. The
Aaron's Business engages in the sales and lease ownership and
specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home
appliances and accessories through its 1,719 Company-operated and
franchised stores in 47 states and Canada, as well as its e-commerce platform,
Aarons.com. In addition, Progressive Leasing, a virtual
lease-to-own company, provides lease-purchase solutions through
approximately 27,000 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 federally insured banks. For
more information, visit investor.aarons.com, Aarons.com,
ProgLeasing.com, and HELPcard.com.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than
150 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has enabled
young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive,
caring, responsible citizens. Today, 4,400 Clubs serve 4 million
young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs
are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands
throughout the country, and serve military families in
BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations
worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and
friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily
basis during critical non-school hours. Club programs promote
academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy
lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 54 percent said the Club
saved their lives. National headquarters are located in
Atlanta. Learn more at on Facebook
and Twitter.
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SOURCE Aaron's, Inc.