Rent-A-Center to Donate to 10 U.S.
Army Garrisons

March 22, 2010 at 12:04 PM EDT
Merchandise Includes New Furniture, Electronics, Computers and Appliances
PLANO, Texas, Mar 22, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Rent-A-Center, Inc. (NASDAQ:RCII) today announced plans to donate merchandise, with a wholesale value of $175,000, to 10 Army garrisons. Coordinated through the military's Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command, the donations are slated for April through November of this year.

The 10 garrisons are: Fort Hood, Kileen, Texas; Fort Benning, Columbus, Ga.; Fort Lewis-McChord, Lakewood, Wa.; Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, Co.; Fort Drum, Watertown, N.Y.; Fort Belvoir, Alexandria, Va.; Fort Leonard Wood, Saint Robert, Mo.; Fort Bragg, Fayetteville, N.C.; Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla.; and Fort Stewart, Hinesville, Ga.

A portion of the donation benefits Soldier and Family Assistance Centers, which provide support to wounded, ill and injured soldiers and their family members. The balance of the donation benefits the Army Community Services; Child, Youth & School Services; Family Entertainment Centers, Survivor Outreach Services, Warriors in Transition Battalion Quarters, and others.

"Rent-A-Center has long held the military in high esteem and has aided a variety of military-related organizations through the years," said Mark Speese, Rent-A-Center chairman and CEO. "We wanted to set the bar higher this year by pledging support in a more comprehensive and far-reaching manner."

The donations will get under way April 7 in Rent-A-Center's home state of Texas at nearby Fort Hood. There, Rent-A-Center co-workers will set up the furnishings before briefly meeting with representatives from the base's Command group.

Rent-A-Center, Inc., headquartered in Plano, Texas, currently operates approximately 3,000 company-owned stores nationwide and in Canada and Puerto Rico. The stores offer name brand, durable goods such as major consumer electronics, appliances, computers, furniture and accessories under flexible rental-purchase agreements that generally allow the customer to obtain ownership of the merchandise at the conclusion of an agreed upon rental period.

SOURCE: Rent-A-Center, Inc.

Rent-A-Center, Inc.
Xavier Dominicis, 972-801-1988
Cell: 214-708-7980
Email: Xavier.Dominicis@rentacenter.com