Friends of a Feather is the umbrella program under which Aflac conducts our Pediatric Cancer philanthropic initiatives: from critical research and medical care, to emotional support for children and their families. We invite other organizations, companies and individual to join us in our fight against all forms of childhood cancer.
Giving back to the community is an everyday part of what we do at Aflac. We've passionately supported the fight against childhood cancer for 15 years. Over our philanthropic history, the extended Aflac family has given more than $65 million to childhood cancer through our relationship with the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. The Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is a national leader among childhood cancer, hematology, and blood and marrow transplant programs, serving infants to young adults. Recognized as one of the top childhood cancer centers in the country by U.S. News & World Report, the Aflac Cancer Center treats more than 350 new cancer patients each year and follows more than 2,500 patients with sickle cell disease, hemophilia and other blood disorders. No relationship has been more meaningful to Aflac than the one with the Aflac Cancer Center.
In addition to its role as our brand icon, the Aflac Duck has come to symbolize Aflac's national philanthropic focus of childhood cancer treatment and research. Over 73,000 plush Aflac Ducks have been sold on the Aflac Web site, with proceeds benefiting the Aflac Cancer Center.
In 2010, Aflac partnered with Macy’s for the 10th consecutive year to sell the special limited edition Aflac Holiday Duck. Since the sales began in 2001, the Aflac Holiday Duck has raised over $3 million for the fight against childhood cancer. Funds this year were donated to 40 participating children’s hospitals across the country.
Under the auspices of Friends of a Feather, Aflac has committed to match up to two million dollars in donations during Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, September 2011. During this time, an Aflac plush duck purchased for $10 will trigger a $20 donation to the Aflac Cancer Center. Learn more at the Friends of a Feather Causes page.
Aflac's executive management is a strong ally in the achievement of the Aflac Cancer Center's long-term strategic vision under the leadership of Dr. William Woods, recipient of the Daniel P. Amos Chair endowed by Aflac in 2000. In addition, Aflac funded the outpatient and inpatient clinics at both Scottish Rite and Egleston. Aflac also gave support in the construction of the Aflac Cancer Center research facility.
Families battling cancer face many challenges, so in addition to cancer treatments, Aflac guarantees at least 10 positions for social workers, chaplains, schoolteachers and child life specialists, who are critical in providing complete and comprehensive care.
Aflac knows that care does not stop with the cure. To provide ongoing care to children cured of cancer but who are facing issues such as learning disabilities or reproductive challenges, Aflac funded the Cancer Survivor Clinic in 2001. Today, it is one of the nation's leading programs focusing solely on post-therapy issues of cancer survivors. In 2007, Aflac presented a $1.5 million Kathelen V. Amos Children’s Chair for Cancer Survivorship to Dr. Lillian R. Meacham of the Aflac Cancer Center.
To date, Aflac has contributed over $60 million to the Aflac Cancer Center. In addition, more than 16,000 independent Aflac national sales agents contribute more than $350,000 from their commission checks each and every month. Since 1995, Aflac sales agents have contributed millions of dollars toward ending pediatric cancer and helping its young victims and their families.
Besides support from the Aflac Foundation, nearly 16,000 independent Aflac national sales agents contribute from their commission checks each month to support the Aflac Cancer Center. 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 sales agents have funded the Aflac Field Force Children’s Chair for Sickle Cell Disease, and the Chair for Experimental Therapy.
Aflac employees have rallied around the Aflac Cancer Center in many ways. Every month, Aflac employee volunteers visit the Aflac Cancer Center, play Bingo with the patients and distribute prizes supplied by Aflac. Throughout the year, employees also hold toy drives, organize sports tournaments and direct other fundraisers to generate thousands of dollars to help support the Aflac Cancer Center.
Through Aflac’s relationship with CureSearch, Aflac extended its cancer support to adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer, an age group that has been overshadowed by national and local efforts over the past half century to assist children and older adults with cancer. Aflac is supporting a national initiative to investigate why this age group has not fared as well as younger and older patients in improving the cure rate and quality of survival. As a result of Aflac support of AYA cancer research, a greater national awareness of the needs of this age group has occurred, and other organizations, including the federal government and comprehensive cancer centers, are joining the cause.
Since 2004, Aflac has provided financial support to the Child Life Therapy Program at the Morrell Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders housed in the Children's Hospital at Albany Medical Center.
Since 2003, Aflac has worked with the University of Nebraska Medical Center to establish the Aflac Fund for Childhood Cancer Patients and Families to support the pediatric hematology-oncology and bone marrow transplantation multidisciplinary team, a vital component of the transplantation experience for patients and their families.
In 1999, Aflac became a founding sponsor of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) and continues to work to expand the travel awards program and other initiatives designed to meet the needs of early career cancer investigators.
Aflac also uses its advertising sponsorships to spotlight pediatric cancer. Every year Aflac sponsors several trips to Major League baseball parks and the Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic to give pediatric cancer patients a chance to get away from the hospital and out to a ballgame. 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, Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego and Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, as well as Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer, an organization dedicated to pediatric cancer treatment and research.
For information about Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, please visit www.choa.org.
