The most telling fact is that every family Warrick has helped, from the start of his Homes for the Holidays campaign, is still in their home to this day.
Ken Butler, President, Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership

Aaron Rents (RNT) donated three more homes’ worth of merchandise to Tampa, Florida families via the Warrick Dunn Foundation’s Homes for the Holidays campaign. Atlanta Falcon and former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Warrick Dunn established his charitable program called Homes for the Holidays back in 1997, in honor of his mother. Since then, the foundation has helped 67 families and 171 children receive new homes.

As part of the program, Warrick surprises every mother with a $5,000 check to help make the down payment on their home and unbeknownst to the family arranges with Aaron’s to fill that home with the mother’s favorite style of furniture.

According to Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership President Ken Butler, “We have worked closely with Warrick Dunn on these home presentations since 2002. We are honored to consider Warrick a part of the Aaron’s family and we are humbled to be part of such a rewarding charitable cause. The most telling fact is that every family Warrick has helped, from the start of his Homes for the Holidays campaign, is still in their home to this day. His chartable work makes a huge impact on the lives of these mothers and their children and we are grateful for the chance to help.”

This year’s presentations in the Tampa area were made in the course of a single day and included three deserving families:

Stephanie Battle is a 34-year old single mother of three children, including a 9-year old daughter who has been diagnosed with bone cancer. Her daughter loves to sit outside, but due to the high rate of crime around their current apartment Stephanie never felt comfortable allowing her to do so. Stephanie is no stranger to the ravages of cancer. She lost another daughter to the disease just two years ago, and she has suffered from breast cancer herself. Local doctors are unsure why cancer has victimized so many members of the Battle family, but Stephanie remains optimistic for their chances for a brighter future.

Cheryl Caro is a lunchroom manager for Hillsborough County Schools with two young daughters. She is currently battling stomach cancer, but hopes to attend St. Leo College in the near future to earn her Associated Degree and pursue a career as a dietician. Cheryl has always dreamed of providing stability to her family by owning her own home.

Roslynn Kearney is a St. Petersburg native and single mother of three children who became a teen mother in 1992. Roslynn has been determined to provide a better life for her children and she has furthered her career through education by earning her GED and later an AA degree and an AS degree in Business from St. Petersburg College. The school was so impressed with Roslynn they hired her as a Student Services Assistant, and she is expected to achieve her Bachelor’s Degree in International Business sometime in 2009.

Homes for the Holidays was established by the Warrick Dunn Foundation in 1997 as a way to honor the life of his mother, Betty Smothers, a police officer and security guard, killed during a robbery attempt while working as an off-duty police officer in Baton Rouge. For more information on Homes for the Holidays or the Warrick Dunn Foundation visit www.warrickdunnfoundation.org.