Aflac Holiday Duck Sings in a Festive Season of Giving for Kids Fighting Cancer

PR Newswire

COLUMBUS, Ga., Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac, the leader in voluntary insurance sales at the worksite in the United States and a committed corporate ally in the fight against childhood cancer, today introduced its 2016 Aflac Holiday Duck and reaffirmed its continuing partnership with Macy's for the upcoming season of charity, cheer and giving back to the community. An annual collector's item, the beloved plush duck is a popular gift sold at Macy's across the nation and online at aflacduckprints.com, with the net proceeds from each duck sold being donated to the participating children's cancer facility nearest to where it is purchased. This is the 16^th year that Aflac and Macy's have teamed up to offer a festive holiday plush of the Aflac Duck, with 250 Macy's stores participating across the country.

Aflac's 2016 Holiday Duck goes on sale today at Aflacduckprints.com and at participating Macy's stores. All the net proceeds go to the fight against childhood cancer.

Donning the clothing of a Christmas caroler, including a top hat with poinsettia and a snazzy scarf, this year's Aflac Holiday Duck is ready to quack a cheerful holiday tune from his red music book. And when you give him a gentle squeeze, he will bellow the famous "Aflaaac!" – sure to put smiles on faces young and old for a great cause.

"The Aflac family of employees and our independent sales force is "all in" for the fight against pediatric cancer and blood disorders," Aflac Foundation President Kathelen Amos said. "To date we have raised over $110 million toward this cause. We are pleased to again partner with Macy's for our beloved Aflac duck to bring holiday cheer while raising awareness and furthering this important cause."

The caroling Aflac Holiday Duck comes in two sizes: a 6-inch version priced at $10 and a 10-inch version listed at $15. Since 2001, more than $3 million has been raised from the sale of these fuzzy keepsakes of Aflac's cherished feathery mascot.

"The Aflac Duck has been a favorite holiday gift for more than 15 years," said Amy Kule, group vice president of Macy's Parade and Entertainment Group. "The strong partnership between Macy's and Aflac has raised awareness and valuable funds to help in the fight against childhood cancer with the sale of this iconic mascot. We are excited to offer families the opportunity to support the cause once again this holiday season."

Aflac's Holiday Duck sales are a part of the company's comprehensive Duckprints campaign, in which the company will donate $2 – up to $1.5 million – to childhood cancer research and treatment for any social activity on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #Duckprints and for every viewing of a Duckprints-related video on YouTube. And new this year is Duckchat, an Aflac app where consumers can get custom Aflac Duck emojis and GIFs. The app can be downloaded on either the Apple iTunes App Store or the Google Play Store. In addition to using the hashtag #Duckprints, Aflac will also donate $2 with each download of Duckchat, which is available in Google Play and the Apple app store.

For 21 years, childhood cancer has been Aflac's primary philanthropic cause, and the company has raised more than $110 million, including monthly donations of more than $500,000 from the company's independent sales agents. For more information about Duckprints and the Aflac Holiday Duck, go to aflacduckprints.com.

About Aflac
When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For six decades, Aflac insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the leading provider of voluntary insurance at the worksite. Through its trailblazing One Day Pay^SM initiative, Aflac U.S. can receive, process, approve and disburse payment for eligible claims in one business day. In Japan, Aflac is the leading provider of medical and cancer insurance and insures 1 in 4 households. Aflac individual and group insurance products help provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For 10 consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2016, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the 18th consecutive year and included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the 15th time, ranking the company No. 1 in innovation for the insurance, life and health category for the second consecutive year. In 2015, Aflac's contact centers were recognized by J.D. Power by providing "An Outstanding Customer Service Experience" for the Live Phone Channel. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac and One Day Pay^SM, visit aflac.com or espanol.aflac.com.