Aflac and NASCAR Driver Carl Edwards Honor Cancer Survivor With Crew of Courage Induction at the Brickyard 400

COLUMBUS, Ga., July 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Aflac, NASCAR driver Carl Edwards and the No. 99 Aflac Roush-Fenway team have announced that Indiana resident and three-time cancer survivor Jerry Snyder will be inducted July 25 as the newest member of the Aflac Crew of Courage during the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Crew of Courage is a season-long campaign that spotlights stories of amazing bravery.

Snyder, who has overcome throat, tongue and lung cancer, continues to fight a longtime battle with multiple sclerosis. Through multiple rounds of cancer treatment, Aflac was by his side. To recognize Snyder for being an inspiration to those around him, he will be treated to an exclusive at-track race experience where he will have the opportunity to meet Edwards, his favorite driver.

"I'm fortunate to meet many Aflac policyholders and hear their stories of personal triumph," Edwards said. "Jerry Snyder is one of these individuals, and he deserves to be recognized and honored. We're proud to welcome him into the Aflac Crew of Courage and I look forward to spending time with him."

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 by using their claims payments to help with expenses not covered by other major insurance policies.

"When you are as sick as I was, the last thing you want to worry about is finances," Snyder said. "Aflac helped make sure that I had nothing to worry about. The policy from Aflac was and has been the best thing that could have ever happened to my wife and me."

In select race markets this season, Aflac Racing and Edwards are welcoming inspirational Aflac policyholders into the Crew and giving them VIP experiences at their local tracks. Selected Crew of Courage members 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, Edwards will honor Crew members by wearing their names on feather-shaped stickers on his helmet throughout the season. Crew members will also receive autographed replica race helmets as mementos of their experiences.

"We're touched when Aflac policyholders share their stories with us and say thanks for helping them through tough times," said Danny Fleishman, vice president of sponsorships and emerging markets at Aflac. "We've been proud to honor this year's inductees and look forward to adding more members to the Crew of Courage as the racing season continues."

The Crew of Courage officially launched at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, the anniversary of Edwards' 2009 last-lap, airborne crash. Blake Bobbitt, a racing fan injured in the Talladega crash, was honored as the program's inaugural member.  Bobbitt was covered by an Aflac hospital confinement indemnity insurance policy that paid cash benefits she could use to help with things like recovery expenses.

On May 16, Aflac and Edwards inducted Delaware resident Malania Smith into the Crew of Courage during the Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway. After suffering an ankle injury that required surgery and a lengthy recovery, Smith battled through her rehabilitation. An Aflac accident insurance policy helped Smith by paying cash benefits that she used to cover some of her most-costly bills.

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. For four consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies, and Forbes magazine has named Aflac as America's Best-Managed Company in the Insurance category. In 2010, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the twelfth consecutive year and also included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the ninth time. 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.

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SOURCE Aflac