BOSTON and WELLESLEY, Mass., March
31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sun Life and the Celtics have
closed out another year of Fit to Win, a four-week fitness and
health program for children from YMCA locations in Greater Boston, Hartford, and Southern Maine. Over the course of the
program, kids from grades 3 through 6 engaged in new fitness and
lifestyle activities each week and received prizes for their
participation. This year, to reach more children and maintain
safety amid the pandemic, the program shifted to an entirely
virtual format. Participants were sent fitness kits for at-home
workouts, and accessed a new exercise video online each week.
"Sun Life has been an incredible partner in bringing this great
program to YMCA communities throughout New England," said
Ted Dalton, senior vice president of
Corporate Partnerships and Business Development for the Boston
Celtics. "We are thrilled we could transition to the virtual
setting to continue reaching kids and making them feel enthusiastic
about health and fitness."
During the finale event yesterday, the kids were treated to an
exclusive virtual tour of the Celtics' practice facility, the
Auerbach Center, and then heard from Celtics power-forward Semi
Ojeleye, who talked about commitment to health and fitness.
Throughout the four weeks of the program, the kids engaged in
fitness routines, healthy habits (such as eating full servings of
fruits and vegetables and limiting sugary beverages) and
mindfulness (via breathing exercises and meditation), all while
learning about overall wellness, fitness and nutrition.
Nearly 450 Sun Life employees took on the Fit to Win
challenge as well, tracking their results and sharing their
experiences with colleagues.
"We have fondly watched this program grow year after year, and
it's been wonderful to see how engaged and excited the kids get
when they learn about health from their favorite athletes," said
Neil Haynes, CFO of Sun Life U.S.
and board member of the YMCA of Greater
Boston. "We are especially grateful to the Celtics
organization for their dedication to this program and helping
people live healthier lives."
This year's Fit to Win program featured a new component: two
virtual nutrition workshops. The kids and their families were able
to learn about healthy cooking on a budget and diabetes prevention,
and were provided with grocery gift cards courtesy of the Celtics
and Sun Life so they could buy ingredients to try the recipes at
home. The workshop attendees were joined by Celtics legend
Leon Powe, who showcased his healthy
cooking skills.
"The continued support from Sun Life and the Boston Celtics has
helped grow so many YMCA programs for youth, adults, and families
overall," said James Morton, CEO of
the YMCA of Greater Boston. "We
are proud to be a place for local families to access health
education and fitness programs, and are grateful to our community
partners who help keep these programs going."
For more information about the Fit to Win program, visit
https://www.nba.com/celtics/video/community/fit-to-win-program-overview
About Sun Life
Sun Life is a leading international
financial services organization providing insurance, wealth and
asset management solutions to individual and corporate 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 December
31, 2020, Sun Life had total assets under management of
C$1,247 billion. 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.
In the United States, Sun Life
is one of the largest group benefits providers, serving more than
60,000 employers in small, medium and large workplaces across the
country. Sun Life's broad portfolio of insurance products and
services in the U.S. includes disability, absence management, life,
dental, vision, voluntary, supplemental health and medical
stop-loss. Sun Life and its affiliates in asset management
businesses in the U.S. employ approximately 5,500 people. 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, please visit www.sunlife.com/us.
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, 39 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, log
on to www.celtics.com.
Media contacts:
Devon Fernald
Sun Life U.S.
781-800-3609
Devon.Portney.Fernald@sunlife.com
Heather Walker
Boston Celtics
617-594-4453
HWalker@celtics.com
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SOURCE Sun Life U.S.