BOSTON and WELLESLEY, Mass., Dec. 5, 2023
/PRNewswire/ -- Sun Life U.S. and the Boston Celtics have
wrapped their tenth year of #SunLifeDunk4Diabetes, raising more
than $1 million for the YMCA of
Greater Boston to date. The
Celtics achieved a record-breaking 88 dunks during the annual
November campaign, which takes place during National Diabetes
Awareness Month. #SunLifeDunk4Diabetes supports the Y's Healthy
Habits program, which helps people learn how to live healthier
lives and avoid risks for type 2 diabetes. Each Celtics dunk in
November raises $1,000, which is
matched by the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation up to
$25,000. Celtics fans also support
the cause by voting for their favorite dunk each week on the
Celtics' Instagram Reels, with each vote raising additional
donations. This year's #SunLifeDunk4Diabetes raised a record
$175,000 for the YMCA of Greater Boston, bringing the total to more
than $1 million over 10 years.
"Partnering with the Celtics to support the YMCA of Greater Boston is always rewarding and
inspiring, as we get to see the wonderful impacts the Y has on the
Greater Boston community," said
Neil Haynes, senior vice president
and CFO, Sun Life U.S., and board member of the YMCA of
Greater Boston. "Sun Life is
committed to causes that help people manage or avoid diabetes, and
we are fortunate to have such terrific partners in that
effort."
Kristaps Porzingis led the team this November with 25 dunks,
with Jaylen Brown not far behind
with 20 dunks. For the November 11
game against the Toronto Raptors, Sun Life doubled the donation
amount to $2,000 per dunk and counted
the Raptors' dunks as well, since Sun Life sponsors the team in
Canada. The Celtics out-dunked the
Raptors 9 to 3 and won the game 117 – 94.
"We are fortunate to have great friends and partners at Sun Life
and the YMCA, who continue to share in our efforts to reduce the
number of individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes," said
Ted Dalton, Boston Celtics Chief
Partnership Officer. "In its tenth year, #SunLifeDunk4Diabetes has
raised more than $1 million, a
testament to the hard work of these organizations and players
alike."
"We are so grateful to Sun Life and the Boston Celtics for the
enduring partnership and deep investment over the past 10 years in
our Healthy Habits and Diabetes Prevention programs. Their support
has allowed us to demonstrate what it takes to help people learn
how to prevent and manage diabetes, find community, and provide the
tools to improve their overall health and wellness," said
David Shapiro, Y of Greater Boston CEO. "The
#SunLifeDunk4Diabetes campaign and the Fit to Win program for
youth, demonstrates our shared vision to strengthen
and build a healthy Boston
community where thriving is accessible to all."
Fit to Win is a four-week winter program run by Sun Life and the
Celtics for YMCA kids in grades 3 – 6. The program teaches them to
embrace fitness, nutrition, healthy lifestyle habits, and
mindfulness. Fit to Win will begin its tenth year in January 2024, and has reached over 2,000 kids
across New England since the program's inception.
For more information about #SunLifeDunk4Diabetes, visit
https://www.nba.com/celtics/promotions/sun-life/sun-life-dunk-4-diabetes.
For information about Sun Life's support of diabetes causes and
other philanthropic programs, visit
https://www.sunlife.com/us/en/about/our-community-involvement/.
About Sun Life
Sun Life is a leading international
financial services organization providing asset management, wealth,
insurance and health solutions to individual and institutional
Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide,
including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong
Kong, the Philippines,
Japan, Indonesia, India, China,
Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of September 30, 2023, Sun Life had total assets
under management of C$1.34 trillion.
For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.
Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New
York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the
ticker symbol SLF.
Sun Life U.S. is one of the largest providers of employee and
government benefits, helping more than 50 million Americans access
the healthcare and coverage they need. Through employers, industry
partners and government programs, Sun Life U.S. offers a portfolio
of benefits and services, including dental, vision, disability,
absence management, life, supplemental health, medical stop-loss
insurance, and healthcare navigation. Sun Life employs nearly 8,300
people in the U.S., including associates in our partner dental
practices and affiliated companies in asset management. Group
insurance policies are issued by Sun Life Assurance Company of
Canada (Wellesley Hills, Mass.), except in
New York, where policies are
issued by Sun Life and Health Insurance Company (U.S.)
(Lansing, Mich.). For more
information visit our website and newsroom.
About the Boston Celtics
A charter member of the
Basketball Association of America (which evolved into the National
Basketball Association) since 1946, the Boston Celtics have won a
record 17 NBA championships, including eight (8) in a row from
1959-1966, winning their first title in 1957 and their most recent
in 2008. The Celtics have long stood for equality, and respect,
including hiring the first African- American coach and starting the
first all-Black starting five. In addition, 50 former Celtics
players, management or staff have been inducted into the Naismith
Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In December 2002 the team returned to local
ownership for the first time since 1963. For more information on
the Celtics, log on to www.celtics.com.
Media Contacts
Devon
Fernald
Sun Life U.S.
Devon.Portney.Fernald@sunlife.com
781-800-3609
Anjie Coplin
Sun Life U.S.
Anjie.Coplin@sunlife.com
214-549-1553
Caroline Weber
Boston Celtics
cweber@celtics.com
314-323-2710
Connect with Sun Life U.S.
https://www.facebook.com/SLFUnitedStates
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sun-life-financial
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SOURCE Sun Life U.S.