Aflac, the leading provider of voluntary insurance sales at the worksite in the United States, announced that it is once again supporting National Breast Cancer Awareness Month through its national "This Duck Wears Pink" initiative. The company has created exclusive pink-themed Aflac Duck merchandise, which is available for purchase at thisduckwearspink.com.

Donations and 100 percent of the net proceeds from all merchandise will go to the American Association for Cancer Research Foundation, the world's first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and preventing and curing the disease.

"Aflac's core mission is to support families in their times of need, which is why we are committed to the prevention and treatment of breast cancer, a disease that impacts hundreds of thousands of families across the country," said Catherine Blades, senior vice president of Corporate Communications at Aflac. "We are proud to invite everyone to join the fight with either a donation or by purchasing 'This Duck Wears Pink' merchandise this October in support of all who have been hurt by breast cancer."

"According to our recently released AACR Cancer Progress Report 2016, nearly 600,000 Americans will die from cancer this year, and although we continue to make extraordinary advances in cancer research, more funding is critical if scientists are to find more cures," said Mitch Stoller, executive director of the AACR Foundation. "We are grateful for Aflac's committed partnership and generous contributions to support breast cancer research demonstrated through continuing its 'This Duck Wears Pink' campaign for the third year in a row."

This is the third year that Aflac has created the much-loved pink plush Aflac Duck and other branded merchandise in support of its "This Duck Wears Pink" initiative and the AACR Foundation. This year, gifts that give back include:

• The popular 6-inch plush duck sporting an Aflac-branded pink hat, pink ribbon on its chest, and two pink and white pom-poms to help spread cheer to breast cancer survivors and supporters.

• A newly designed T-shirt with a bold blue background and bright pink accents.

• A pink-themed hat, rubber wristbands, a lapel pin and more.