Culture Days and Sun Life Financial bring Canadians together to celebrate a love of culture and the arts

Event kicks off its third year with live performances in Toronto's Regent Park

TORONTO, Sept. 17, 2012 /CNW/ - Sun Life Financial proudly participated in the national kick-off of Culture Days today with an event highlighting the diverse arts and culture scene in Toronto.

Taking place during the weekend of September 28 - 30, Culture Days symbolizes an accessible way to celebrate all the culture our nation has to offer through thousands of interactive activities.

The kick-off took place at the Regent Park Arts and Cultural Centre and marked Culture Days' third anniversary. Performances included Juno Award-winning R&B singer/songwriter Sean Jones, Collection of Black Artists (COBA) and Native Earth Performing Arts, setting the stage for many events taking place across the country over three days.

This year's theme, "I Love Culture," provided an opportunity for kick-off participants to record a message in a video booth, explaining what "Culture Is To Me."

"To Sun Life, culture is a way to experience, learn about and celebrate ourselves and our communities," said Mary De Paoli, EVP, Chief Marketing Officer and Public & Corporate Affairs. "Three years ago, Culture Days was just a seed of an idea and I'm so encouraged to see how it's literally swept across the country to showcase just how vibrant, cultural and artistic we all are."

As the national Founding Visionary Partner of Culture Days, Sun Life is a strong supporter of culture and the arts. Through Sun Life's Culture Days sponsorship, and our Making the Arts More Accessible^® program, the company provides an opportunity for Canadians to experience arts and culture in their communities.

Culture Days is a grassroots, community-based movement to increase awareness, accessibility, participation, and engagement of all Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their regions. This annual event allows the public to explore the behind-the-scenes work of local artists, creators, historians, curators, and designers in the areas of music, dance, visual arts, film, history, theatre, literature, and so much more.

This year's Culture Days weekend-long event will take place in hundreds of cities and towns across Canada. Tens of thousands of independent artists; arts, culture, and heritage organizations; community groups; schools; businesses; municipalities; libraries; and millions of Canadians will participate and show the true colours of Canada's arts and culture.

For more information:

• Visit culturedays.ca and plan your Culture Days weekend using the Bright Spots Schedule, presented by Sun Life Financial.
• Visit our Donations and sponsorships section on sunlife.ca to learn more about our arts and culture initiatives.

About Sun Life Financial

Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth accumulation products and services to individuals and corporate customers. 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 $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 the ticker symbol SLF.

Note to Editors: All figures in Canadian dollars.

Image with caption: "Mary De Paoli, EVP, Chief Marketing Officer and Public & Corporate Affairs, Sun Life Financial, speaks at the Regent Park Arts and Cultural Centre in Toronto to mark Culture Days' third anniversary. Culture Days is a grassroots, community-based movement to increase awareness, accessibility, participation, and engagement of all Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their regions. (CNW Group/Sun Life Financial Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120917_C7034_PHOTO_EN_17968.jpg

SOURCE: Sun Life Financial Inc.