With the support of businesses like Rent-A-Center, I know that the Summer Reading Challenge will continue to grow, encourage more children to read and help us reach our goal of increasing literacy.
Byron Brown, Mayor, Buffalo, New York

Buffalo, New York Mayor Byron Brown.

In celebration of National Literacy Month, Rent-A-Center (NASDAQ: RCII) made two charitable donations to help promote and encourage reading among children and adults in the City of Buffalo. Rent-A-Center co-workers from throughout Western New York made a donation of more than $21,000 to the Reading Rules! 2008 Kids Summer Reading Challenge program.

The money will be used for scholarships, book gift certificates that are redeemable at Buffalo's own Talking Leaves books store and two Dell laptop computers. The program was founded by Mayor Brown in 2001 while he served in the New York State Senate. In addition, Rent-A-Center contributed $10,000 to the eight Buffalo library branches of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library System to purchase financial literacy materials as well as to support financial counseling programs.

Children that participate in The Reading Rules! Kids Summer Reading Challenge program read seven books over the course of the summer and write a brief summary on each book. The summaries are sent to Mayor Brown and in exchange each participant is invited to attend an awards ceremony in the early fall. In the previous six years, more than 3,400 students completed the program by reading at least 7 books and writing a summary on each, which means that nearly 23,800 books have been read as a result of the program.

"I'm very appreciative of Rent-A-Center's generous donation to this successful program that promotes learning and literacy," said Mayor Brown. "Over the past seven years, my Summer Reading Challenge has grown each year, bringing more children into a fun and exciting program that requires them to read a minimum of seven books and then write a brief report on each book. With the support of businesses like Rent-A-Center, I know that the Summer Reading Challenge will continue to grow, encourage more children to read and help us reach our goal of increasing literacy."

Enlarge photo - Students who attended the announcement, Buffalo community leaders and Rent-A-Center representatives.

In the spirit of National Literacy Month, Rent-A-Center also donated $10,000 to the eight city libraries that are part of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library System. The funding will be used to help increase financial literacy efforts in the community. The materials produced with this funding will include books and DVDs that offer expert insight and planning to assist adults in managing personal finances. Some of the materials also will be produced to teach children the importance of financial literacy.

"We are truly grateful to Rent-A-Center and hope its gift will serve as an example for other businesses and individuals in the region who understand the impact of financial literacy and want to make a difference in improving the lives of our residents and the well-being of our community by supporting these educational efforts," said Bridget Quinn-Carey, director, Buffalo and Erie County Library System.

This is Rent-A-Center's eighth "Random Act of Caring," having launched the statewide initiative seven months ago.

In New York, Rent-A-Center operates 178 stores including 45 in Western New York and 15 in the City of Buffalo.