When I heard one customer say, Do we keep warm this winter, or do we eat? that was the last straw.
Ray Bird, ColorTyme Franchisee

Providence ColorTyme GM Al Coello, Free Heat promo winner Salome Rojos and ColorTyme Assistant Manager Louie Padilla.

As fuel prices skyrocketed and the economy plummeted last fall, ColorTyme franchisee Ray Bird overheard his customers fretting about the coming winter heating bills. "When I heard one customer say, "‘Do we keep warm this winter, or do we eat?' that was the last straw," Bird says. "I decided the Providence store would be Santa Claus this Christmas and pay someone's heating bills this winter." Bird devised the "Free Heat This Winter" contest and promoted it heavily with advertising and in the community.

Response was stronger than expected. "It's cold in Providence in the winter," Bird laughed. Hundreds of people stopped by the ColorTyme store to register for the Christmastime giveaway, valued at $1,000. The lucky winner was Salome Rojos, a ColorTyme customer. Rojos will now have his December, January and February heating bills paid by Santa's Elves at his neighborhood ColorTyme store.

ColorTyme, Inc. is America's oldest franchisor of independently owned-and-operated rent-to-own stores, celebrating its 30th birthday anniversary in 2009. ColorTyme franchisees operate 210 rent-to-own/rental-purchase stores in 34 states.