John Hancock Financial and Manulife Employees Commit To Run 2011 Boston Marathon for Non-Profits

BOSTON, March 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 100 John Hancock and Manulife employees have committed to run this year's Boston Marathon and raise money for non-profits through its MarathonMatters: Employee Training Program. They join the more than 1,000 Company-sponsored non-profit runners as they seek to surpass the $4.3 million raised in 2010 through the John Hancock Boston Marathon Non-Profit Program.

John Hancock employees will run to raise funds for the Ron Burton Training Village, South Boston Neighborhood House, Artists for Humanity and the Center for Teen Empowerment. Canadian Manulife employees will run for Habitat for Humanity Canada. Both groups have consistently increased monies raised since the inception of the employee fundraising program five years ago.

"John Hancock promotes health and wellness for its employees through a variety of initiatives throughout the year in connection with its corporate HealthMatters program," said Rob Friedman, head of Sponsorship and Event Marketing at John Hancock. "The Employee Training Program is one such initiative under the banner of our Boston Marathon sponsorship and provides a unique opportunity to help employees prepare for the race and give back to their communities by raising funds for these vital and vibrant non-profit organizations."

Training seminars with nutritionists, physical therapists, world-class marathoners, team coach Dr. Cathy Utzschneider and BAA race director Dave McGillivray, help employees maintain a successful training schedule. The Company also provides supported weekend training runs on the historic Boston Marathon course.

To help employees meet their fundraising goals, John Hancock provides various tools and incentives, networking seminars, and meetings with non-profit leaders and non-profit groups.

"John Hancock's employee training program not only has helped me to run in the last five Boston Marathons, but also has helped me support the community by raising money for a number of great causes," said Ken Cuffee, an investment analyst in John Hancock's Real Estate Finance Group. "Without this program, I doubt I would ever run a marathon, much less the prestigious Boston Marathon. Nor would I have the joy that has come from supporting in a very special way these great local organizations."

Ryan Hall, one of United States' best marathoners, has visited employees on two occasions to share training tips and to offer his perspective on running for a non-profit. Hall routinely donates his prize earnings to the Hall Steps Foundation, a charitable organization he founded with his wife, Sara, to address ending global poverty.

The MarathonMatters: Employee Training Program is part of John Hancock's Boston Marathon Non-Profit Program, which last year raised more than $4.3 million for non-profits and since 2002 has raised $24.54 million. These funds were part of the Company's $11.2 million of total support in 2010. The Company also donates approximately 10,000 hours of community support through its employee volunteer programs each year.

For 26 years, John Hancock has been the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon, and has worked in partnership with the Boston Athletic Association to support one of the world's premier sporting events.

For more information about the Boston Marathon:

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial

John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 22 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, Manulife Financial Corporation offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. For more than 120 years, clients have looked to Manulife for strong, reliable, trustworthy and forward-thinking solutions for their most significant financial decisions. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were $475 billion (US$478 billion) as at December 31, 2010.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and services, including life insurance, fixed and variable annuities, fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at www.johnhancock.com.

SOURCE John Hancock Financial