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Pawn America: Honored for “outstanding example of positive community involvement” 10/5/2010 CONTACTS: Michael Deering 952-944-1319 michael@superstarpr.com Kelly Plummer 651-207-6242 kelly@superstarpr.com Financial Service Centers of America (FiSCA) Announces Pawn America As A 2010 Activa Award Recipient Burnsville, MN (October 4, 2010) – Pawn America is proud to announce the company has been honored as a 2010 Activa Award recipient. Launched in 1999 by FiSCA, the Activa Awards program honors outstanding examples of positive community involvement activities of its members throughout the country. FiSCA supports and encourages its members to make an investment in the communities that they do business by giving their time through community service and money through charitable contributions. As each year passes, the Activa Awards bring greater distinction and a better understanding of the pivotal role financial service centers play in making America’s neighborhoods a better place to live and work. “Pawn America takes great pride in the initiatives we’ve created to address the needs we see in our communities,” says Pawn America Owner Brad Rixmann. “Whether it’s serving a meal at the Boys & Girls Clubs, volunteering time with the local Sheriff’s Foundation, or even donating “therapy-friendly” merchandise to local patients affected by injury, disease or illness…we want to help people. We believe in listening first, we then do our best to make a meaningful impact.” Pawn America has created and fostered several community initiatives for which the 2010 Activa Awards honor including: * The Pawn America/Boys & Girls Clubs Kids Feeding Kids (KFK) initiative Created to provide an opportunity for local kids to eat, learn culinary skills and cooperative behavior traits while serving their peers via a nutritious late-afternoon dinner 5 evenings a week. The goal of the program is to stop childhood hunger in areas of the Twin Cities that house a local Boys & Girls Clubs location. More than 50,000 meals are served annually. * Hennepin County Sheriff’s Foundation Pawn America is a valuable part of this independent, nonprofit, charitable organization dedicated to strengthening public safety through youth-based activity programs, prevention, intervention, education, outreach and 21st century crime fighting tools and programs. * PC’s For People A Partnership with this organization has collected hundreds of refurbished computers with the goal of giving outdated equipment a second lease by fixing it up for people who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to own a computer. Recently, Pawn America developed a retail “curbside drop campaign” encouraging customers to drop off old and working computer systems at their stores for a gift certificate in return. * The University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview Transitional Care Unit Pawn America began earmarking “therapy-friendly” merchandise when a nurse called requesting a few items on the wish list of patients and caregivers at the Transitional Care Unit. These items were to help rehabilitate, entertain and even inspire patients and include Wii consoles, musical instruments, games, CDs, DVDs and other types of entertainment options. * Pawn America Builds Libraries for Soldiers in Iraq Shortly after the start of the War in Iraq, Brad Rixmann learned the son of two Pawn America employees was being deployed. He wanted to help out and decided to package and send components of a media library with the soldier. Brad gave the soldiers a collection of more than 1,000 DVD’s, CD’s, video games and movies to entertain and comfort soldiers during their downtime. Since the first installment, Brad and Pawn America have sent components to Iraq for two additional libraries. For interview opportunities contact Michael Deering at 612-360-7789 or michael@superstarpr.com. About Pawn America Pawn America has 22 locations including: Anoka, Bloomington, Burnsville, Coon Rapids, Duluth, Fridley, Hopkins, Mankato, St. Paul, Robbinsdale, Rochester, Roseville, St. Cloud, St. Louis Park, West St. Paul, Sioux Falls, SD, Fargo, ND, Appleton, Onalaska and Wausau, WI and the newest store in Madison, WI. For more information on Pawn America, its community initiatives and other store information, log onto: http://www.pawnamerica.com. |
