Fighting Pediatric Cancer, a CSR Program by American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus, Inc.

In 1995, AFLAC executives pledged $3 million to establish the AFLAC Cancer Center at Egleston Children's Hospital. Chairman and CEO Dan Amos announced a gift of $10 million to the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta in December 2001, the largest gift in Aflac’s history and largest corporate gift ever made to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. "The Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is one of the largest pediatric cancer centers in the United States and treats more than 300 newly diagnosed cancer patients and over 1,000 sickle cell patients each year. No relationship has been more meaningful to Aflac than the one with the Aflac Cancer Center," according to Aflac. Aflac has contributed over $45 million to the Aflac Cancer Center to date.

Since 1995, Aflac sales agents have contributed over $20 million toward the center out of commission paychecks. According to the Web site, "the agents also regularly engage in friendly competition between territories by holding special events and auctions to raise money for the Aflac Cancer Center." Aflac employees also volunteer every month by visiting the center and playing Bingo with the patients and distributing prizes supplied by Aflac. Employees also hold toy drives, organize sports tournaments and support other fundraisers to generate support of the center.

Along with cancer treatments, Aflac guarantees at least 10 positions for social workers, chaplains, schoolteachers and child life specialists who are critical in providing comprehensive care to cancer victims. Aflac also cares for children who suffer from learning disabilities or reproductive challenges. In response to this, Aflac funded the Cancer Survivor Clinic in 2001. According to Aflac, "it is one of the nation's leading programs focusing solely on post-therapy issues of cancer survivors." Aflac also presented a $1.5 million Kathelen V. Amos Children’s Chair for Cancer Survivorship in 2007 to Dr. Lillian R. Meacham of the Aflac Cancer Center.

Aflac also supports Reach the Day: Conquer Childhood Cancer, the Child Life Therapy Program at the Morrell Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders in the Children's Hospital at Albany Medical Center and the University of Nebraska Medical Center to establish the Aflac Fund for Childhood Cancer Patients and Families. Aflac became a founding sponsor of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) in 1999 and is committed establish the Aflac Chair for Cancer Research at USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles.

The Aflac Duck serves as a brand icon but has also come to symbolize the national philanthropic focus of pediatric cancer treatment and research. Over 73,000 plush Aflac Ducks have been sold on the Aflac Web site benefiting the Aflac Cancer Center. In 2008, Aflac also partnered with Macy’s to sell special limited edition Aflac Holiday Ducks to raise funds donated to children's hospitals across the country. Every year Aflac sponsors several trips to Major League baseball parks and the Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic for pediatric cancer patients and proceeds from the Aflac All-American have benefited pediatric cancer centers, including Children’s Hospital at Southwest Florida, Kimmel Cancer Center Fund for Johns Hopkins Medicine, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles and Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego, as well as Curing Kids Cancer, an organization dedicated to pediatric cancer treatment and research.

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