MONTREAL, Nov. 14, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Diabetes affects more than 760,000 people in Quebec and another 900,000 are at high risk of developing this disease. Numerous studies have shown that type 2 diabetes can be prevented, or the onset delayed, through healthy lifestyle choices. This finding was behind Sun Life Financial's decision to become the major partner for Diabetes Quebec and help drive the organization's new commitment to type 2 diabetes prevention. This partnership will enable Diabetes Québec to launch a new type 2 diabetes awareness and prevention project in Quebec over the next three years.
"Sun Life Financial's $600,000 donation will enable us to sharpen our focus on public awareness of the various ways to prevent type 2 diabetes," said Serge Langlois, Diabetes Québec president and executive director.
The new project will address awareness and prevention issues and help drive diabetes research through such initiatives as development of a prevention-focused web environment, diabetes prevention days at Sun Life Financial's 25 financial centres across Quebec, a prevention-oriented advertising campaign and a research grant to a young type 2 diabetes researcher.
Over one million dollars for diabetes initiatives
"Our commitment to the fight against type 2 diabetes flows from the growing prevalence of this disease in today's society and, above all, from a finding that awareness, prevention and research initiatives can make a real contribution to slowing this trend. This is a very important commitment for our entire company and is rolling out on a large scale right across the country. We are therefore especially proud to be investing over one million dollars here in Quebec, starting with this major partnership with Diabetes Quebec and our announcement today of a $600,000 donation to this organization," explained Isabelle Hudon, president, Sun Life Financial, Quebec.
"This is a tangible opportunity for us to give back to the communities where we live and work. We believe this partnership will have some very positive outcomes and is an excellent fit with Sun Life Financial's broader mission to assist and support Quebecers at every stage of their life, by providing them with ways and means for keeping ahead of this disease," she concluded.
About Diabetes Québec
For more than 50 years, Diabetes Québec has pursued its mission to inform and make the public more aware of diabetes in order to help prevent the disease and its complications. The Association has close to 30,000 members: these include people with diabetes and the health professionals specializing in the disease. The Association has pioneered education in Québec for people with diabetes; its Diabétaide Educational Service has helped thousands, as has its InfoDiabetes hotline. Diabetes Québec actively defends the rights of people by lobbying government to promote diabetes prevention and provide better care. To learn more, visit www.diabete.qc.ca.
About Sun Life Financial
A leading international financial services organization, Sun Life Financial has been working to bring financial security to Quebecers since 1865. The company's 1600 employees and 700 advisors support business relationships with 1.5 million Quebec clients, within communities right across the province. Chartered in 1865, Sun Life Financial and its partners today have operations in key markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China and Bermuda. As of June 30, 2012, the Sun Life Financial group of companies had total assets under management of CDN$496 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 ticker symbol "SLF".
Image with caption: "Ms Isabelle Hudon, president, Sun Life Financial, Quebec; Mr Serge Langlois, Diabetes Québec president and executive director. (CNW Group/Diabètes Québec)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20121114_C7806_PHOTO_EN_20586.jpg
SOURCE: Diabètes Québec
Vanessa Roland
514 966-8963
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