Sun Life U.S. and Boston Celtics close out 10th annual Fit to Win program for YMCA youth

WELLESLEY, Mass., Feb. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sun Life U.S. and the Boston Celtics closed out the 10th year of Fit to Win last week, an annual program that engages kids at participating YMCAs and helps them learn about and embrace fitness and healthy lifestyle habits. Midway through the four-week program the kids participated in a nutrition event, where they competed to make the tastiest smoothies and salads with help from Celtics players Derrick White and Svi Mykhailiuk. The finale event, held this week at the Dorchester YMCA, celebrated the kids' achievements with fun activities, games, and Celtics-themed prizes.

"It has been wonderful to see this program grow over the past 10 years and see the enthusiasm of the children as they learn about health and fitness," said Dan Fishbein, M.D., president of Sun Life U.S. "We are fortunate to maintain partnerships with the Celtics and the YMCA of Greater Boston, two incredible organizations that share our passion for helping people live healthier lives and supporting communities in need."

Fit to Win is a four-week program that teaches kids to embrace fitness, nutrition, healthy lifestyle habits, and mindfulness. In the first week, the participants were surveyed to see what their knowledge and experience was with healthy habits. At the end of the program the kids were surveyed again, showing off what they've learned throughout the program. Results included:

95% of participants said they plan to continue to exercise regularly.
95% are helping to pick out groceries or help cooking at home.
60% plan to continue to write in their journals.

"We are fortunate to have great friends and partners at Sun Life and join them in congratulating the youth that have participated in the Fit to Win program," said Ted Dalton, Boston Celtics Chief Partnership Officer. "Now in its 10th year, Fit to Win has evolved and grown as young students in the Greater Boston area learn to embrace fitness. We anticipate Fit to Win will continue to have a positive impact on the community and look forward to celebrating the progress kids at the participating YMCAs have made."

Sun Life has been a Boston Celtics partner for more than 10 years. In addition to the Fit to Win program, they offer the #SunLifeDunk4Diabetes annual fundraiser each November, raising money for the YMCA of Greater Boston Healthy Habits program. Since the start of Fit to Win, the program has impacted more than 2,000 students across New England.

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 December 31, 2023, Sun Life had total assets under management of C$1.40 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.

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Caroline WeberBoston Celtics
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