Aaron's Sponsors 7,100 High School Students Across The Globe For Chick-fil-A Leadercast

ATLANTA, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Aaron's, Inc. is partnering with GiANT Impact to scholarship more than 7,100 high school seniors for the Chick-fil-A Leadercast event May 4. Chick-fil-A Leadercast, which will broadcast live from Atlanta and simulcast into communities around the world, has grown to become the premier leadership development event with more than 125,000 expected participants.

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At least 710 host sites for the simulcast have been selected, and each site has been given the opportunity to invite 10 high school students to participate free of charge. Aaron's is the only event sponsor that will scholarship students at all 710 host locations – plus additional sites that are added before the event takes place.

"As a public company with nearly 2,000 associates at the managerial level, Aaron's is often participating in leadership development seminars and events," said Tristan Montanero, Vice President, Central Operations, Aaron's Sales and Lease Ownership. "Among all these, GiANT Impact's Chick-fil-A Leadercast is one of the very best we've seen. Aaron's is always seeking unique ways to enhance the communities where our customers and associates live and work, and Chick-fil-A Leadercast is the perfect example of such an endeavor. We are creating the opportunity to foster and develop important skills for these 7,000-plus students who are our future leaders, and some of whom just might become leaders at Aaron's."

"Chick-fil-A Leadercast was created in 2000 as a different kind of leadership conference, one that was affordable and accessible to leaders from every background," said Michael Williams, Executive Director at GiANT Impact. "Contributions from our generous partners, such as Aaron's, have helped Chick-fil-A Leadercast become exactly that – accessible to participants like high school seniors who are in need of the high-level mentorship that Chick-fil-A Leadercast offers. With the average ticket cost of approximately $75, Aaron's is essentially providing these students with a value of more than half a million dollars. Aaron's outreach to students for this year's event has also inspired high schools to sign up as host sites, which has even furthered the impact and reach of the conference."

The Chick-fil-A Leadercast, produced by GiANT Impact, will take place live in Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center and will feature insights from world renowned leaders such as CNN's Soledad O'Brien, NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, best-selling author Patrick Lencioni and Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts. For information on attending the live event or to find a simulcast location near you, visit www.chick-fil-aleadercast.com.

Aaron's first became involved with Chick-fil-A Leadercast last year through a partnership with The Pantry, a community food ministry for the hungry. This year, The Pantry will host a Leadercast simulcast at The Church at Chapel Hill, located at 5357 Chapel Hill Road in Douglasville.

About Aaron's, Inc.

Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), the nation's leader in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of residential furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, has more than 1,960 Company-operated and franchised stores in 48 states and Canada. Founded in 1955 by entrepreneur and current Chairman R. Charles Loudermilk, Sr. and headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron's has been publicly traded since 1982. For more information, visit www.aarons.com. 

SOURCE Aaron's, Inc.