Sun Life U.S. renews national partnership with American Diabetes Association with $500,000 to support Project Power youth program

WELLESLEY, Mass. and MERRIFIELD, Va., May 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sun Life U.S. has renewed its partnership with the American Diabetes Association^® (ADA) with a three-year commitment to continue its national sponsorship of Project Power. The ADA's youth-focused program educates children, ages 5 – 12, to help them make healthy lifestyle choices and develop lifelong, sustainable healthy habits. Support of the ADA and diabetes programs is part of Sun Life's focus on broadening access to health services and programs for underserved and at-risk communities to help people live healthier lives.

Sun Life will work closely with the ADA to provide access to new resources for kids and their families through engaging presentations at Project Power Parent Meetings, while also continuing to support the growth of the program in communities that need it most.

"We are proud to continue supporting the American Diabetes Association. Our partnership has helped improve access to diabetes programs for underserved communities around the country," said Dan Fishbein, M.D., president of Sun Life U.S. "The ADA does wonderful work supporting children and their families as they learn to live with diabetes and better manage their health. We look forward to continuing our work with the ADA to grow the Project Power program and help more children embrace healthier lifestyles."

Project Power is available in every U.S. state and offered at no-cost. The program uses a curriculum of nutrition and fitness, as well as family engagement, including diabetes risk assessments and resources for parents. Sun Life has supported Project Power for more than two years, after working with the ADA on several other programs, including providing support for the ADA's grassroot advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill.

Project Power tackles childhood prediabetes and helps reduce its consequences. The program promotes healthy food choices, increasing physical activity and building family and peer support, through a mixture of local, in-person events and virtual, nationwide programming. In 2022, Project Power reached over 27,000 kids across the U.S., up from 4,600 participants in the prior year. Program directors survey participants to gauge effectiveness of the curriculum. Some results include:

• Knowledge – 74% of participants can correctly identify healthy foods/elements of a healthy plate.
• Self-efficacy – 80% of participants are confident that they can exercise at least five times per week.
• Behavior – 69% of participants reported less than two hours of screen time per day.

"We are thrilled to have Sun Life's support in growing the Project Power program, directly engaging families in embracing health habits," said Charles D. Henderson, chief executive officer for the ADA. "Sun Life has shown long-term commitment to the ADA and our mission of helping people with diabetes, especially children, live healthier and thrive."

Diabetes has been Sun Life's global philanthropic focus for more than a decade, with a strong commitment to supporting at-risk communities that often lack access to diabetes prevention and management resources at disproportionate levels. Additional support is provided through the Sun Life U.S. Team Up Against Diabetes grant program, which helps non-profit organizations around the country focused on nutrition, obesity prevention and physical activity. Sun Life U.S. also partners with the Boston Celtics and Kansas City Royals to support diabetes and health programs in each community.

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, 2022, Sun Life had total assets under management of C$1.33 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 American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation's leading voluntary health organization fighting to bend the curve on the diabetes epidemic and help people living with diabetes thrive. For 82 years, the ADA has driven discovery and research to treat, manage, and prevent diabetes while working relentlessly for a cure. Through advocacy, program development, and education we aim to improve the quality of life for the over 133 million Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes. Diabetes has brought us together. What we do next will make us Connected for Life^®. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). Join the fight with us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Spanish Facebook (Asociación Americana de la Diabetes), LinkedIn (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn), and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).

Media contacts

Devon Fernald
Sun Life U.S.
[email protected]
781-800-3609

Rebecca Fisher
American Diabetes Association
[email protected]
703-253-4918

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SOURCE Sun Life U.S.