Sun Life partners with University Health
Network and SickKids Foundation on multi-year commitments
TORONTO, Nov. 14,
2023 /CNW/ - Today, Sun Life surpassed more than
$50 million committed since 2012 to
the fight against diabetes globally through strategic partnerships
with organizations supporting the most vulnerable in our
communities. This milestone was reached with two renewed diabetes
partnerships with University Health Network (UHN) and SickKids
Foundation, whose impact will help create healthier lives for years
to come.
"With diabetes and pre-diabetes rates rising globally,
supporting the evolving health needs of individuals and communities
is more important than ever," said Dave
Jones, President, Sun Life Health. "Sun Life's innovative
partnerships are helping to bridge the gap between access and
support to create positive health outcomes. We're thrilled to reach
this exciting milestone which shows our commitment to helping
people live healthier lives."
University Health Network
In partnership with UHN's Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
(Toronto Rehab), Sun Life is committing $750,000 over three years to further invest in
Sun Life Diabetes College resources and the myDiabetes program. Sun
Life launched its partnership with Toronto Rehab in 2015 with a
$1 million commitment over five years
to create the Sun Life Diabetes College, and renewed its
partnership in 2020 with an additional $600,000 commitment over three years.
This new investment will help develop culturally appropriate
diabetes prevention resources for Indigenous and Black communities
along with tailoring structured myDiabetes content to the unique
needs of young adults living with diabetes and pre-diabetes. This
support is expected to help 2,800 people over the course of the
renewed partnership.
"We are so grateful for Sun Life's renewed partnership to help
UHN expand critical diabetes resources," says Dr. Paul Oh, Medical Director of the Cardiovascular
Prevention and Rehabilitation Program at UHN. "Their support will
enable us to bring tailored diabetes education and rehabilitation
programming to some of our most at-risk populations, communicated
in a way that is meaningful and accessible to them."
To date, the Sun Life Diabetes College resources have been
accessed by more than 220,000 users since 2015. And, in a recent
study of the myDiabetes program, participants reported a 25 per
cent increase in their daily physical activity levels and a 10 per
cent average decrease in their blood sugar levels.
To learn more about the Sun Life Diabetes College and myDiabetes
program at University Health Network, go here.
SickKids Foundation
In partnership with the SickKids Foundation, Sun Life is
committing $700,000 over three years
to help create the BALANCE program, a type-2 diabetes prevention
and pediatric weight management initiative using a 12-week
group-based mental health framework to teach youth how to adopt and
sustain healthy behaviour change.
This new investment will help support the cost of program
development and implementation in year one, followed by scaling the
BALANCE program to 10 partner organizations across Ontario in year two and three. Sun Life's
funding is expected to support the delivery of the BALANCE program
to 1,000 youth from 10 communities across Ontario during the partnership.
"SickKids Foundation is proud to partner with Sun Life on
bringing the innovative BALANCE program to life that aims to reduce
the risk of type 2 diabetes in vulnerable youth and children
through healthy habit building and mental health resilience," says
Stefanie McPherson, Interim Vice
President, Corporate and Community Partnerships at SickKids
Foundation. "With Sun Life's dedication and generous support of our
programs and services, we can continue our fight to make every kid
a healthy kid."
To learn more about the SickKids Foundation, go here.
Investing in diabetes prevention and care to help people live
healthier lives
Sun Life's philanthropic investments reflects its commitment to
helping people live healthier lives. In effort to make a real
difference in the communities it serves, Sun Life is using its
resources—including its people and expertise—to make a positive
impact in its fight against diabetes globally. Learn more about Sun
Life's recent philanthropic partnerships focused on diabetes
prevention and promoting youth physical activity.
Canada
- $1 million over three years with
Spirit North
- $900,000 over three years with
Promoting Life-skills in Aboriginal Youth (PLAY) Program
- $900,000 since the creation of
the Sun Life Diabetes Prevention and Remission Clinic with the
Montreal Heart Institute Foundation
United States
- Sun Life and the Boston Celtics renew partnership and celebrate
10th anniversary of #SunLifeDunk4Diabetes
- US$350,000 to six community
organization as part of Sun Life U.S.'s 2023 Team Up Against
Diabetes grant program
- US$500,000 over three years with
the American Diabetes Association
Asia
- Sun Life Malaysia continues its Brighter Health Blood Glucose
Screening Programme
- Sun Life donates PHP 40 million
to promote healthier lives through basketball for marginalized
youth across Asia
Supporting the needs and well-being of vulnerable populations is
key to a healthy and sustainable future. See how Sun Life is
creating impact in the community at
sunlife.com/sustainability/.
Sun Life in the
community
Sun Life is sustainability-driven, focusing on areas where it
can have the greatest impact. By actively supporting the
communities in which Sun Life lives and works, the organization can
help build a positive environment for Clients, employees, advisors,
and shareholders. Physical health and mental health are at the
centre of our philanthropic support, with a focus on supporting
programs and organizations that strive to empower people to live
their healthiest lives no matter where they are in their journey.
Sun Life employees and advisors take great pride in volunteering
and giving back to make life brighter for individuals and families
around the world.
Learn more about Sun Life in the community.
About University Health
Network
University Health Network (UHN) currently consists of Toronto
General and Toronto Western hospitals, the Princess Margaret Cancer
Centre, Toronto Rehab, and The Michener Institute of Education at
UHN.
Ranked among the top five hospitals in the world, the scope of
research and complexity of cases at UHN has made it a national and
international source for discovery, education and patient care. UHN
also has the largest hospital-based research program in
Canada, with major research in
cardiology, transplantation, neurosciences, oncology, surgical
innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine
and rehabilitation medicine. UHN is the only hospital in
Canada with its own dedicated
academic institution dedicated exclusively to applied health
sciences education. UHN is a research hospital affiliated with the
University of Toronto.
About SickKids
Foundation:
Established in 1972, SickKids Foundation raises funds on behalf
of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and is the largest
charitable funder of child health research, learning and care in
Canada. Philanthropy is a critical
source of funding for SickKids – one of the world's foremost
paediatric health-care institutions. Thanks to the generosity of
the community, SickKids Foundation generated more than $205 million in revenue in support of children's
health for the fiscal year ending March 31,
2023. Precision health for every child is the future. At
SickKids, it's already begun. Join us at HealtheFuture.ca
Media Relations Contacts:
Sun
Life
Kevin Koudys
Manager, Corporate
Communications
M:
416-574-2670
E:
kevin.koudys@sunlife.com
|
UHN
Foundation
Jennifer Di
Santo
Director, Brand
Marketing
M:
437-230-8391
E:
jennifer.disanto@uhn.ca
|
SickKids
Foundation
Tania Kwong
Associate Director,
Public Relations
M:
416-801-5525
E:
tania.kwong@sickkidsfoundation.com
|
SOURCE Sun Life Financial Inc.