Radio Personality and Camp Sunshine Founder Added to the Duckprints Wall of Fame for Fighting Against Childhood Cancer

"The Aflac Cancer Center and its fight on behalf of children with cancer and their families has been a source of great pride, motivation and inspiration for the broad Aflac family for over 20 years," Aflac Foundation President Kathelen Amos said. "Each Duckprint honoree has made a unique contribution, and leaves their own indelible legacies in this ongoing effort, and this shared struggle has forged a bond among us all." 

Aflac's Duckprints award recipients — WSB's Atlanta Morning News host Scott Slade, who started the WSB Radio Care-a-Thon for the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta in 2000 and raised millions of dollars to help eradicate childhood cancer, and Dr. Dorothy Jordan, an advanced practice nurse and founder of Camp Sunshine, a nonprofit organization offering year-round recreational, educational and supportive programming for children with cancer and their families in Georgia since 1983 — saw their footprints added to the Duckprints Wall of Fame during a ceremony at the Aflac Cancer Center, the nationally renowned children's cancer facility.

"Thanks to the support of our partners at Aflac, WSB Radio and Camp Sunshine, the Aflac Cancer Center has the resources to provide high-quality care for our patients and dedicated research to find a cure for childhood cancer," said Douglas Graham, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and chief of hematology/oncology/BMT in the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University. "It's an honor to partner with Aflac in recognizing these individuals who have done so much to ensure our patients get the support and treatment they need."

Attendees also heard the story of Ellanor Young, a brave girl diagnosed with leukemia at only 4 years old who is now in remission, and how her fight inspired the high school lacrosse team her father, Patrick, coaches to form the nonprofit Lax for Leukemia Inc., which donates to Aflac Cancer Center needs.

While cancer remains the most prevalent cause of death by disease for children, all pediatric cancers combined receive less than 4 percent of federal funding for cancer research, according to the Children's Cancer Fund. That's why Aflac has contributed more than $108 million in the battle against pediatric cancer for research and treatment. In fact, each month more than 16,000 of Aflac's agents contribute from their commission checks to the Aflac Cancer Center, which is rated among the top-10 pediatric cancer hospitals in America by U.S. News and World Report.

"It is Aflac's mission to eradicate childhood cancer, and each member of the company embraces this mission and has for more than 20 years," Aflac Chairman and CEO Dan Amos said. "At Aflac, we believe in leaving our duckprints on the world, and these duckprints represent our values of serving others and giving back to our communities. It is just the right thing to do."

As part of the grassroots Duckprints campaign that began in 2013, Aflac is calling on people across America to become active in the cause. Aflac is donating $2 to the fight against children's cancer for each Duckprints-related social media activity on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram, up to a $1.5 million maximum. Related social actions include:

Twitter - $2 for any tweet using the hashtag #Duckprints or for retweets of Duckprints-related tweets.
Facebook - $2 for any share of specific posts related to Duckprints or using #Duckprints.
YouTube - $2 per view of the Duckprints videos on YouTube.
Instagram - $2 for every post using the hashtag #Duckprints.

Aflac also created a website (aflacduckprints.com) that enables users to nominate unsung heroes in their community who have made a difference in the lives of children and families facing cancer. People can follow the Aflac Duck on his journey to hospitals around the country honoring those who have made a difference in the fight against childhood cancer. In addition, merchandise such as plush Aflac ducks and Duckprints-related T-shirts, slippers and other items are available for purchase at aflacduckprints.com, with all of the net proceeds going toward the treatment and research of childhood cancer. 

About Duckprints Award recipient Scott Slade

Scott Slade is host of Atlanta's Morning News, consistently one of the top-rated radio programs in metro Atlanta for over 25 years, and among the top-rated news-talk programs in the USA. The show airs weekdays, 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., on News 95.5 FM and AM 750, WSB.

Scott initiated the WSB Radio Care-a-Thon for the Aflac Cancer Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta in 2000, raising millions of dollars to fight children's cancer and blood disorders.

Scott is a rare two-time winner of the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award as Best Radio Personality in America in both major and large markets. Atlanta's Morning News with Scott Slade has won numerous awards since its inception in 1991, including the national Edward R. Murrow Award as Best Radio Newscast in the nation.

Scott has been with WSB Radio since 1984 as a producer, show host and helicopter traffic reporter. His career includes all facets of media since 1970. He was won numerous news, programming and advertising awards since his broadcasting career began at the age of 15. In fact, his first award was an Associated Press award in 1971 for "News Interpretation" for a weekly program where he and other teenage journalists interviewed newsmakers on a local radio station. He is an Atlanta native.

He is a graduate of Georgia State University, a commercial airplane and helicopter pilot, and enjoys hiking, playing jazz saxophone and, of course, flying, among his hobbies. Scott has been the voice of the Great Georgia Airshow for all but one year since its inception.

About Aflac Duckprints Award recipient Dorothy Jordan

Dorothy Jordan is an advanced practice nurse in Georgia, and she is board certified as a family psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and as a psychiatric mental health clinical nurse specialist. Dr. Jordan graduated with a B.S. in nursing from East Stroudsburg University in 1979, an M.N. in child health from Emory University in 1982, a post-masters certificate in psychiatric mental health from Georgia State University in 2008 and a doctor of nursing practice from University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2014.

Dr. Jordan's clinical practice in pediatrics focused on children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. It was through her work with children with cancer and their families that she had the idea to provide pediatric oncology patients the normal childhood experience of summer camp. Dorothy, with the help of others in the pediatric oncology community, founded Camp Sunshine, a nonprofit organization offering year-round recreational, educational and supportive programming for children with cancer and their families in Georgia since 1983. 

Dorothy served as the first executive director of Camp Sunshine and has served on the board since its inception. She continues to volunteer at Camp Sunshine teen week and provides camper and staff mental health support. Her recent clinical practice includes psychiatry at the Marcus Autism Center, consult liaison psychiatry at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and psychiatric mental health at Community Advanced Practice Nurses. Dorothy is an assistant clinical professor at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University. Her current clinical interests include early mental health screening, mental health promotion, early intervention, the universal prevention of psychiatric mental health disorders and the integration of mental health into primary care. Her research interests include the impact of volunteering at a pediatric oncology camp on the pediatric oncology nurse's practices. Dr. Jordan has a particular interest in the access to psychiatric mental health care for children and adolescents.

About Ellanor Young

At the end of July 2014, Ellanor Young's family was vacationing in Panama City Beach, Florida, when Ellanor started complaining of severe pain when she walked. Her parents, Patrick and Kelly Young, also noticed that whenever she took several steps, her face and lips would go pale. On the last day of the vacation, Ellanor woke up feeling much worse.

Ellanor's parents took her to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite because Ellanor's blood counts were extremely low. Upon arriving at Children's, her parents were told that their sweet 4-year-old daughter had cancer, specifically leukemia. 

Ellanor's father, Patrick, a high school lacrosse coach, knew it would be hard to devote a lot of time to his team when Ellanor was diagnosed and decided to skip a season. But when the players heard the news, they wouldn't have it. Instead, he continued to coach, and the team formed the nonprofit Lax for Leukemia Inc. as a way for the team to give back and help other families battling childhood cancer. Funds raised by Lax for Leukemia Inc. support research and programs at the Aflac Cancer Center.

Ellanor was declared in remission after the first month of treatment.

"We will be forever grateful for the Aflac Cancer Center and for the many nurses, doctors and cancer families we have met along the way," Kelly Young said. "They have all made this experience bearable." 

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.

Aflac herein means American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus and American Family Life Assurance Company of New York.

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