Sun Life Financial advisors "step out" in support of ParticipACTION

    
    Events from coast-to-coast inspired Canadians to get active and get
    moving
    

ST. JOHN'S , NL, Sept. 25 /CNW/ - Eighty Sun Life Financial advisors from Atlantic Canada donned pedometers at their annual golf tournament yesterday to encourage and support the "get active" message as part of the ParticipACTION Sun Life - Inspire the nation campaign.

"The message we're sending through our partnership with ParticipACTION is that getting active is part of a healthy lifestyle," said Kevin Strain , Senior Vice-President, Individual Insurance and Investments, Sun Life Financial Canada . "The role of our Sun Life Financial advisors is to help provide lifetime financial security to our customers and we believe that personal health is an important factor in your overall financial well-being."

Kelly Murumets, President and CEO, ParticipACTION, also attended the tournament and shared her thoughts on the importance of finding ways to encourage family, friends and colleagues to join the physical activity movement.

"We're facing an inactivity crisis in Canada , but if we work together, we can achieve a healthier, more active future for our country," said Murumets. "Everyone can get inspired to get moving. You may be surprised that simple steps can make a big difference-and your actions just may inspire others to do the same."

Throughout the summer, the official ParticipACTION Sun Life - Inspire the nation tour travelled across the country with events that offered free pedometers to attendees and encouraged Canadians to record and share their ParticipACTION stories at the "Inspiration Booth."

    
    Highlights from the tour included:

    -   15,000 km travelled over nine weeks
    -   Stops in 31 communities across the country
    -   Over 40 community partners who rallied local support and helped
        promote the physical activity and sport opportunities available in
        their regions
    -   Motivating appearances by Canadian Olympians Donovan Bailey,
        Lori-Ann Muenzer, Susan Auch, Charmaine Crooks and
        Hayley Wickenheiser
    -   More than 25,000 pedometers on the hips of Canadians
    -   Attendance totalled more than 70,000 across the nation
        -  Victoria and Montreal both saw more than 4,000 attendees
        -  8,000 people stopped by in Ottawa alone
    -   800 videos recorded and uploaded to the Wall of Inspiration,
        detailing how people have added movement to their lives
    -   Inspiring, heartfelt stories from an ex-smoker who now runs
        marathons, to a man who had a heart attack and has ridden his bike
        back to health, to a mom who takes foster dogs for daily two-hour
        walks to keep her young family moving
    

The tour itself ended on August 27 , but the campaign continues to live on through events like the golf tournament in Newfoundland and a booth at the Fall Flavours event in Charlottetown, PEI on Sunday, October 4 . More information about the get active message along with the tour's inspiring video messages from Canadians can be found on www.participACTION.com.

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. Chartered in 1865, 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 and Bermuda . As of June 30, 2009 , the Sun Life Financial group of companies had total assets under management of $397 billion .

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under ticker symbol SLF.

About ParticipACTION

ParticipACTION is the national voice of physical activity and sport participation in Canada . Originally established in 1971, ParticipACTION was re-launched in 2007 to help prevent the looming inactivity and obesity crisis that faces Canada . As a national not-for-profit organization solely dedicated to inspiring and supporting healthy and active living for Canadians, it works with its partners, which include sport, physical activity, recreation organizations, government and corporate sponsors, to inspire and support Canadians to move more. ParticipACTION is generously supported by Sport Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada . For more information, visit www.participACTION.com.

Note to editors: All figures in Canadian dollars.

For further information: Krista Wilson, Manager, Media and Public Relations, Sun Life Financial Canada, w. [phone] ext. 4896, c. [phone], [email protected]; Katherine Janson, PR and Communications Manager, ParticipACTION, w. [phone], c. [phone], [email protected]