Sarah McLachlan School of Music strikes the right chord with young musicians

Sun Life Financial deepens commitment to making music education accessible to more Canadians

VANCOUVER, June 1, 2018 /CNW/ - Sun Life Financial and Sarah McLachlan, Grammy and Juno Award-winning artist, will announce the extension of a multi-year partnership with the Sarah McLachlan School of Music (SoM) Vancouver, ensuring at-risk and underserved children and youth continue to gain access to best-in-class music programs, free of charge.

This extended partnership with SoM reaffirms Sun Life's commitment to supporting music education for children and youth and builds upon its national award-winning Making the Arts More Accessible™ program, which aims to provide Canadians the opportunity to enjoy the very best of our country's arts and cultural community, regardless of their means.

The Sarah McLachlan School of Music opened its doors in East Vancouver in 2001. Funded by partners and fundraising donations, the program is offered at no cost to students accepted into the program. Students receive group and private instruction in guitar, piano, percussion, voice, choir, song writing, music theory and new media.

Sun Life Financial announced initial funding support to SoM Vancouver in 2014 and deepened its commitment to accessible music programs for children and youth in 2016 as a founding sponsor of SoM in Edmonton.

Sun Life Financial in the community
At Sun Life Financial, we are committed to building sustainable, healthier communities for life and we're proud to hold the Caring Company designation from Imagine Canada. Community wellness is an important part of our sustainability commitment and we believe that by actively supporting the communities in which we live and work, we can help build a positive environment for our Clients, Employees, advisors and shareholders. Our philanthropic support focuses on two key areas: health, with an emphasis on diabetes awareness, prevention, care and research initiatives through our Team Up Against Diabetes™ platform; and arts and culture, through our award-winning Making the Arts More Accessible™ program. We also partner with sports properties in key markets to further our commitment to healthy and active living. Our Employees and advisors take great pride in volunteering over 29,000 hours each year and contribute to making life brighter for individuals and families across Canada. Read more about Sun Life Financial in the community.

About Sarah McLachlan School of Music
The Sarah McLachlan School of Music provides high quality music lessons in conjunction with long term supportive mentorship from local teaching artists for at-risk and underserved children and youth in Vancouver, Surrey and Edmonton. We are a registered charity providing all of our lessons at no cost to our students. The school is funded entirely through private donations. Sarah McLachlan covers 100% of the admin costs through her Foundation, so that all funds raised go directly to our student's education.

Media Relations Contacts:
Hannah Stewart
Senior Communications Specialist
Sun Life Financial
T. 647.256.2136
hannah.stewart@sunlife.com

SOURCE Sun Life Financial Canada