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.
Media
Contact:
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Kip Havel
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Aflac
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706.320.4613
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khavel@aflac.com
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SOURCE Aflac