Boston Celtics and Sun Life close out 9th annual Fit to Win youth program with Celtics forward Justin Jackson at trampoline park

WELLESLEY, Mass., Feb. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sun Life U.S. and the Boston Celtics on Thursday wrapped another year of Fit to Win, a health and fitness program for YMCA youth, at Launch Trampoline Park in Norwood, Mass. Justin Jackson, along with Lucky the Leprechaun and members of the Celtics Flight Crew, joined the kids for laser tag, dodgeball, a ninja warrior course, and some good old-fashioned bouncing. Fit to Win is a four-week program that teaches kids about fitness, nutrition, and healthy lifestyle habits. The kids track their results and keep mindfulness journals throughout the program.

"Fit to Win still has an impact after nine years because of partners like Sun Life and the YMCA of Greater Boston, both of whom share the Celtics commitment to promoting health and wellness in the community," said Ted Dalton, Boston Celtics chief partnership officer. "We look forward to continuing this program with Sun Life and the YMCA, and seeing our younger fans get excited about health and fitness."

During the program, the Celtics and Sun Life hosted the Fit to Win participants at a nutrition event at the Thomas M. Menino YMCA in Hyde Park, where Celtics player Luke Kornet joined the kids in a smoothie making competition. Each group of children submitted their smoothie to a panel of judges, including members of the Celtics nutrition staff, who scored each recipe and crowned the winning smoothie.

"Bringing programs like Fit to Win to the YMCA of Greater Boston is part of Sun Life's commitment to helping more people access health services that can help them live healthier lives," said Neil Haynes, CFO of Sun Life U.S., and board member of the YMCA of Greater Boston. "We are fortunate to work with the Celtics, who have such a wonderful relationship with this community and understand the importance of health equity."

"Seeing our kids embrace fitness and learn about health from their favorite athletes is extremely inspiring and we hope it helps them build a lifetime of healthy habits," said David Shapiro, CEO of the YMCA of Greater Boston. "The YMCA is here to help the Boston community live healthier lives, and we could not do that without the support of wonderful partners like Sun Life and the Boston Celtics."

Fit to Win activities include fitness routines with jumping jacks, push ups, burpees and more; healthy habits such as stretching for 10 minutes daily and practicing mindfulness; and nutrition choices, including eating multiple servings of fruits and vegetables each day. The program is held at multiple Boston YMCAs, for children in third through sixth grade.

Sun Life's partnership with the Celtics also includes #SunLifeDunk4Diabetes, a fundraising campaign held each November (Diabetes Awareness Month) to support the YMCA of Greater Boston's Healthy Habits program, a 10-week educational course for adults at risk for type 2 diabetes. Additional diabetes programs include Sun Life's annual Team Up Against Diabetes grant program, which supports organizations around the country that provide health, nutrition, or disease management services to underserved communities, and an ongoing partnership with the American Diabetes Association.

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 September 30, 2022, Sun Life had total assets under management of C$1.27 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 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 U.S. and affiliated companies in asset management employ approximately 8,000 people in the U.S. 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, 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
[email protected] 

Taylor Kielpinski-Rogers
Boston Celtics
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