Sun Life Financial announces new partnership with Kansas City Royals

WELLESLEY, Mass. and KANSAS CITY, Mo., Feb. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As pitchers and catchers get ready to report to spring training next week, the Kansas City Royals and Sun Life Financial U.S. have announced a partnership through the 2020 season. Working together, Sun Life and the Royals will raise funds and hold community events aimed at promoting diabetes awareness, as well as health and physical activity.

"We are looking forward to working with the Royals because they have such a strong and active presence in this region," said Dan Fishbein, President of Sun Life Financial U.S. "We're thrilled to partner with an organization that shares our commitment to health and wellness, and I can't wait to see what this partnership brings to the Greater Kansas City area communities. The Royals are a great organization, not to mention an exciting team to watch!"

The 2017 season will kick off with Strikeout Diabetes, a fundraising campaign that will result in donations from Sun Life to a local charity for each Royals strikeout throughout the season. The 2017 beneficiary will be JDRF Kansas City – a leading organization focused on type 1 diabetes. Strikeout Diabetes will support their Bag of Hope program, which generously provides a backpack full of resources and educational material for newly diagnosed children.

The Royals and Sun Life will also host the P.L.A.Y. Clinic (Promoting a Lifetime of Activity for Youth), a four-week fitness challenge for children, helping them to learn and maintain healthy lifestyles. Children from the local RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) chapters as well as the YMCA of Greater Kansas City will be invited to participate and track their healthy habits for a chance to win exciting prizes along the way.

"Sun Life's commitment to helping the community is one of many reasons we're excited to partner with them," said Mike Bucek, Royals Vice President of Marketing and Business Development. "Together, we'll be able to reach out and help people through new and already established programs, and have a greater impact on the Kansas City community."

Sun Life will also sponsor and participate in many Royals Charities events, including their premiere gala event, Diamond of Dreams, the Royals Charities Celebrity Golf Tournament, and the Royals Charities 5K Run/Walk. The Royals and Sun Life partnership follows Sun Life's recent acquisition and integration of Kansas City based Assurant Employee Benefits in March 2016.

Sun Life actively participates in community services and events with a focus on health and promoting diabetes awareness and education. Other partners include the Boston Celtics, YMCA of the USA, the American Diabetes Association, and many grant recipients through Sun Life's Team Up Against Diabetes grant program.

About Sun Life Financial
Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth products and services to individuals and corporate customers. Sun Life Financial 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, 2016, the Sun Life Financial group of companies had total assets under management of $908 billion. 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.

In the United States, Sun Life Financial is one of the largest group benefits providers, serving more than 60,000 employers in small, medium, and large workplaces across the country. Sun Life's broad portfolio of products and services in the U.S. includes Disability and Absence Management, Life, Dental and Vision, Voluntary, and Stop-Loss insurance. This includes the acquisition of Assurant Employee Benefits in Q1 2016. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com/us.

About the Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Mo., and compete in Major League Baseball as part of the American League Central Division.  The Royals are two-time World Series Champions (1985, 2015) and have won the American League Pennant four times (1980, 1985, 2014, 2015) in their 48-year history.  The club plays its home games at Kauffman Stadium, which opened in 1973 and had a major renovation completed in 2009.  The stadium has hosted two All-Star Games, including most recently in 2012.  The Royals joined the Major Leagues as an expansion franchise in 1969.

Media contacts:

Devon Portney Fernald
Sun Life Financial
781-416-7151
[email protected]

Amanda Turk
Kansas City Royals
816-504-4309
[email protected]

SOURCE Sun Life Financial