"Hastings Entertainment is dedicated to serving our communities in all aspects of their entertainment needs, and we were extremely pleased to host the 39th president of the United States in one of our stores", said John H. Marmaduke, chairman and chief executive officer. "Customer response to President Carter's two-hour visit to our store was overwhelmingly positive, because he represents in many people's minds the epitome of a highly public individual who has shown enduring humanity, wisdom and religious faith. It was an honor for Hastings to host President Carter".

Since leaving the presidency, President Carter has actively sought to promote peace and human rights around the world through the non-profit Carter Center that he established in Atlanta in 1982. He and his wife, Rosalynn, still reside in Plains, Ga., and have utilized the Center to initiate projects in more than 65 countries in "competent and compassionate" response to human rights abuses, poor health conditions, armed conflicts and urban decay.

Founded in 1968, Hastings is a leading multimedia entertainment retailer that combines the sale of books, music, software, periodicals and videotapes with the rental of videotapes and video games in a superstore format. The company opened twelve new superstores in 1998 and currently operates 129 superstores, averaging 21,200 square feet, primarily in small to medium-sized markets in the Midwestern and Western United States.