Aflac and NASCAR Driver Carl Edwards Launch Crew of Courage, Honoring People with Inspiring Stories

COLUMBUS, Ga., April 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- They have overcome illnesses, accidents and injuries — all with incredible courage and strength. Now these individuals are being honored by Aflac (NYSE: AFL), NASCAR driver Carl Edwards and the No. 99 Aflac Roush-Fenway team as members of Aflac's Crew of Courage, a program that honors inspirational Aflac policyholders.

"I've had an opportunity to meet Aflac policyholders firsthand and hear their amazing stories of personal triumph," said Edwards. "These inspirational people deserve to be recognized and honored, which is why we are launching Aflac's Crew of Courage."

Crew of Courage members are Aflac policyholders who know firsthand how the company helps individuals in times of need. They have benefited from Aflac when they were sick or hurt and couldn't work, to help pay for expenses not covered by other major insurance policies.

This weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, Aflac and Edwards will officially launch the Crew of Courage, a season-long campaign that will spotlight amazing stories of bravery. NASCAR's 2010 return to Talladega marks the anniversary of Edwards' last-lap, airborne crash, in which one of the fans injured while watching from the stands was a person insured by Aflac. This fan will be honored as the inaugural member in the Aflac Crew of Courage, with a VIP at-track experience.

"Aflac policyholders often share their stories with us and thank us helping them through life's difficult situations," said Danny Fleishman, vice president of sponsorships and emerging markets at Aflac. "Good words inspire grand celebrations, so we knew we had to celebrate their spirit and enthusiasm for our brand."

In select race markets this season, Aflac Racing and Edwards will welcome an inspirational Aflac policyholder into the Crew and give him or her a VIP experience at his or her local track. Selected Crew of Courage members will share one-on-one time with Edwards and receive special access to the garage and pit areas, as well as tickets to the race. What's more, each Crew member will be a virtual passenger with Edwards throughout the season through a feather-shaped sticker bearing his or her name on Edwards' racing helmet. Each member of the Crew will also receive an autographed replica race helmet as a memento of the experience.

The 2010 race markets include Talladega, Ala.; Dover, Del.; Indianapolis; Brooklyn, Mich.; Loudon, N.H.; Kansas City; Charlotte, N.C. and Homestead-Miami.

The Crew of Courage experience extends beyond the track. Other Aflac policyholders are invited to join the online Crew of Courage by visiting www.aflacracing.com and submitting a video to share their own stories of personal triumph — with the possibility of being selected by Edwards for a future at-track experience.

For more information, visit www.aflacracing.com.

About Aflac

When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For 55 years, Aflac insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance. In Japan, Aflac is the number one insurance company in terms of individual insurance policies in force. Aflac insurance products provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for three consecutive years and was also named by the Reputation Institute as the Most Reputable Company in the Global Insurance Industry for two consecutive years. In 2010, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the twelfth consecutive year. Fortune magazine also ranked Aflac No. 1 on its global list of the Most Admired Companies in the Life and Health Insurance category. Aflac was also named by Forbes magazine as America's Best-Managed Company in the Insurance category. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac, visit aflac.com.

About Roush Fenway Racing

Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR's largest team operating eight motorsports teams. Four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; and four in the Nationwide Series with Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Colin Braun, and Paul Menard. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log on to www.RoushFenway.com. Become a fan of Roush Fenway Racing on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway. And for sponsorship inquiries, please contact Robin Johnson at (704) 720-4645.