Press Releases

DENVER – June 12, 2013 – The American Cancer Society, the nation's largest and most successful voluntary health organization, is recognizing leading U.S. corporate employers for their exceptional efforts to help promote healthy lifestyles and reduce cancer risk among their staff. The recognitions – Awards of Excellence, Excellence in Cancer Control, Excellence in Employee Engagement, Excellence in Employee Giving and Excellence in Tobacco Control – are part of the American Cancer Society Corporate Impact Awards, presented annually by the Society to corporate partners who are committed to finishing the fight against cancer.

Cancer is the leading cause of death from illness in the U.S. workforce and creates one of the greatest economic burdens of all leading causes of death worldwide. Considering the significant threat this disease poses to the health of employees and businesses, the American Cancer Society encourages companies to take preventative action in the workplace. 

“Research shows that employers have a unique opportunity to make a difference in today’s workforce through health promotion and disease prevention initiatives,” says John R. Seffrin, PhD, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society. “As the Society celebrates 100 years of helping people get well and stay well, fighting back, and finding cures for cancer, we are proud to recognize companies who emphasize the importance of cancer prevention, are working to reduce cancer risk among their workforce and are helping the Society fight one of the greatest economic burdens of all leading causes of death worldwide.”

• Walmart will receive the Award of Excellence for their overall commitment to the mission of the Society through corporate and employee giving, customer engagement, volunteerism, and the promotion of employee health and wellness benefits, policies, and programs. This year, Walmart will reach $50 million in lifetime giving to the Society. Walmart is also dedicated to tobacco control and has made tobacco-cessation counseling available to 128 million shoppers, along with reducing the cost barrier to nicotine replacement therapy products. Also, through their support of the Society’s community grants to provide breast and colon cancer screening to underserved populations, Walmart has helped more than 100,000 people in more than 40 communities nationwide.

• Moda Health will receive the Excellence in Cancer Control award. For eight years, the company has been a corporate champion and flagship sponsor for the Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer^® program. Moda Health also continues to highlight efforts of the Society within its employee giving program, including promotion of Quit For Life^®, an American Cancer Society smoking-cessation program operated by Alere Wellbeing, to employees.

• Quest Diagnostics will receive the Excellence in Employee Engagement award. Quest Diagnostics staff participated in more than 60 Relay For Life^® and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer events in 2012, raising more than $250,000 for the American Cancer Society. That same year, company leaders and employees were speakers at 17 Making Strides events.

• City National Bank will receive the Excellence in Employee Giving award. Since 2008, City National Bank has included the American Cancer Society in their strategic choice workplace giving campaign, which in 2012 raised more than $160,000 for the Society and achieved a remarkable 90 percent employee participation rate. As a Society partner in workplace giving, City National Bank has sought out meaningful opportunities to educate and involve its workforce in Society programs, and has helped educate and engage current and potential partners by sharing its story with others in the corporate community.

• Bob Evans Farm, Inc. will receive the Excellence in Tobacco Control award. In June 2012, Bob Evans Farm introduced the Quit For Life program, making smoking-cessation resources free to employees. In January 2013, the company also launched a tobacco-free policy that covers all 45,000 employees at 565 restaurants and 5 food production plants and transportation centers across 19 states.

Walmart, Moda Health, Quest Diagnostics, City National Bank, and Bob Evans Farm Photos will be posted on the@ACSImpact Twitter page. For more information on each company’s specific engagement, visit acsworkplacesolutions.com/impactawards.asp.  

About the American Cancer Society:

The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers saving lives and fighting for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the Society's efforts have contributed to a 20 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. Thanks in part to our progress nearly 14 million Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will celebrate more birthdays this year. As we mark our 100th birthday in 2013, we're determined to finish the fight against cancer. We're finding cures as the nation’s  largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air, and more. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.