Sun Life Financial Continues to Team Up Against Diabetes, Supports a Series of Programs with the American Diabetes Association to Help Americans Live More Active and Healthy Lifestyles

Wellesley, MA (October 28, 2014) – With American Diabetes Month as a backdrop, the U.S. business group of Sun Life Financial today announced a comprehensive alliance with the American Diabetes Association (the Association), America’s leading organization dedicated to preventing and curing diabetes, as an extension of Sun Life’s ongoing commitment to programs that inform Americans of the risk factors and health consequences associated with the disease.

Sun Life will work with the Association and three of its local markets on a series of American Diabetes Month events and programs designed to focus the nation’s attention on the issues and seriousness of diabetes and the people impacted by the disease. Sun Life will:

· present the Association’s signature American Diabetes Month program, America Gets CookingSM to Stop Diabetes®;

· co-produce interactive cooking demonstrations led by nationally renown chefs in Chicago and Philadelphia; and

· develop a consumer engagement extension that drives awareness and fundraising for the Association’s “Step Out®: Walk to Stop Diabetes®” event in Los Angeles.

“Nearly 30 million children and adults in America are afflicted by diabetes, with an estimated annual total national cost of $245 billion, and as many as one in three American adults will have the disease in 2050 unless we take steps to stop it,” said Dan Fishbein, President, Sun Life Financial U.S. “Sun Life’s alliance with the Association, the country’s leading organization dedicated to preventing and curing diabetes, presents a signature opportunity for us to help raise awareness of the risk factors and societal and economic impacts associated with diabetes and provide practical tools and information to help people lead healthier lifestyles.”

The Association’s “America Gets Cooking to Stop Diabetes” campaign is designed to inspire and empower people to lead healthier lifestyles by providing nutrition facts, recipe ideas, and tips for cooking nutritious and delicious food. The Association will encourage the public to get involved throughout American Diabetes Month this November with weekly promotions such as ‘Get Moving Mondays,’ ‘Tasty Tip Tuesdays’ and ‘What’s Cooking Wednesdays,’ available via http://www.diabetesforecast.org/adm, on facebook.com/AmericanDiabetesAssociation.

“Diet and exercise are critical to preventing type 2 diabetes and managing all types of diabetes,” said Marjorie Cypress, PhD, CNP, CDE, President, Health Care & Education, American Diabetes Association. “The American Diabetes Association is excited to collaborate with Sun Life Financial to focus the nation’s attention on this epidemic and provide communities across the country with resources they need to lead a healthier lifestyle and ultimately, Stop Diabetes®.”

Sun Life/Association regional events will feature unique interactive experiences that generate awareness and promote practical nutrition and fitness tips. At the Chicago and Philadelphia events, celebrity chefs who are committed to preventing diabetes will lead healthy cooking demonstrations. At the “Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes” event in Los Angeles, Sun Life will sponsor the Champions Tent and host an MVP breakfast and community area for top Association fundraisers.

Globally, Sun Life has committed over $11 million to the cause to date. Near its U.S. headquarters in Wellesley, MA, Sun Life will also team up with the Boston Celtics on an American Diabetes Month fundraising campaign and a season-long, diabetes prevention program to benefit Greater Boston YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program and further raise awareness of diabetes risk factors and steps to mitigate them. In addition, Sun Life is committed to supporting its employees in learning about, achieving, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and offers dozens of services and programs internally throughout the year that help employees achieve their goals.

About Sun Life Financial
Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth accumulation products and services to individuals and corporate customers. The Sun Life Financial group of companies operates under the “Sun Life Financial” name strictly as a marketing name and no legal significance is expressed or implied. Sun Life Financial and its partners today have operations in key markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Bermuda. In the United States and elsewhere, insurance products are offered by members of the Sun Life Financial group that are insurance companies. In the United States, Sun Life Financial provides a range of products and services to employers and their employees, including Group and Voluntary Accident, Critical Illness, Dental, Disability, Life, and Stop-Loss insurance products. Sun Life Financial Inc., the holding company for the Sun Life Financial group of companies, is a public company. It is not an insurance company and does not offer insurance products for sale in the United States or elsewhere, and does not guarantee the obligations of its insurance company subsidiaries. Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE), and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com/us.