London advisor, Herald Krimmer, honoured by Sun Life as 2010 Volunteer of the Year

Company to donate $10,000 to Ronald McDonald House on Krimmer's behalf

WATERLOO, ON, July 27, 2011 /CNW/ - The lives of families needing support from the Ronald McDonald House of Southwestern Ontario just got a little brighter today because of Sun Life Financial Advisor, Herald Krimmer, who was named the 2010 Sun Life Volunteer of the Year. To honour his dedication to volunteering, Sun Life will donate $10,000 to the Ronald McDonald House in London, as selected by Krimmer.

Herald was named 2010 Volunteer of the Year in recognition of the 624 hours of volunteer work he completed in 2010 - that's an average of 12 hours every week last year. Herald is the Co-Chair of the Ronald McDonald House Capital Campaign, which successfully raised $8.5 million in the past year. His efforts will help double the size of the current house in London from a capacity of 17 families at a time to 34. The renovations to the facility will give refuge to seriously ill and injured children's families, providing a comfortable home base during a difficult time.

"Herald's volunteer efforts continue to make it possible for us to live up to our mandate," Margaret Anderson, Executive Director, Ronald McDonald House of Southwestern Ontario, said. "His ongoing efforts help us ensure that no family will ever be turned away due to an inability to meet the token room fee that is asked of them."

As well as donating his time, Herald and his wife, Susanna, have personally pledged $25,000 to the Ronald McDonald House Capital Campaign, which has been their cause of choice for more than a decade.

Herald's volunteer efforts in 2010 also included time as the director of the London Food Bank and a member of the investment committee for the Boys and Girls Club of London.

"At Sun Life, we believe it's important for our employees and advisors to be active members of their communities by supporting the causes that mean the most to them, and the volunteer program helps to reward that participation," said Kevin Dougherty, President, Sun Life Financial Canada. "I'm extremely proud of the volunteers we're recognizing, as well as everyone else that works to make life brighter for others."

Along with naming a Volunteer of the Year, Sun Life also awards $3,000 to charities for three finalists. This year, the finalists are:

Margaret-Ann Giberson - Waterloo, ON - Girl Guides of Canada; and The War Amps

• The Girl Guides of Canada will receive $2,000 donated on Margaret-Ann's behalf. She has been an active Girl Guide Leader for the past eight years and most recently joined 1^st Kitchener Trex - a special operations group of Girl Guides focused on learning by experiencing the outdoors. She helps the members plan meetings, events and camps.
• The remaining $1,000 will be donated to The War Amps. Margaret-Ann and her son have been active volunteers with the CHAMP program - a program designed to encourage child amputees (Champs) to accept their amputations and develop a positive approach to life. The program also provides funding for artificial limbs.

Flora Riyahi - Truro, NS - Colchester Regional Hospital Foundation (CRHF)

• Flora will have her donation benefit the Colchester Regional Hospital Foundation (CRHF). As Chair of the Planned Giving and Major Gifts program, she has helped to set a new strategic direction for the program. Flora also has a keen interest in community development and views her participation as a CRHF board member as a key to developing a healthy, vibrant, thriving community.

Marty Forsythe - Fredericton, NB - Muscular Dystrophy Canada; School District 17; and the University of New Brunswick

• Marty will split his funds equally between the three charities. He has volunteered with the Central New Brunswick Chapter of Muscular Dystrophy Canada by being a part of the organization committees of the annual auction and Fredericton Walk for Muscular Dystrophy. These events have helped raise more than $125,000 for the charity.
• With School District 17, Forsythe is the Chair of the District Education Council, focusing on the effective management and leadership of the school district which has 4,900 students and 600 employees.
• For its role in promoting a healthy, active lifestyle, the University of New Brunswick volleyball program is also supported by Marty.

Volunteering by the numbers in 2010:

• 334 - number of Sun Life employees and advisors participating in the volunteer program, which makes a donation for those who volunteer more than 50 hours a year.
• 35,550 - number of registered hours employees and advisors spent volunteering last year.
• $167,000 - total amount of company grants given to organizations and charities across Canada.
• 225 - number of different organizations and charities supported - including local sports teams, hospital boards and multicultural festivals, to name a few.

To learn more about Sun Life Financial's volunteer program or to see complete profiles of the 2010 Volunteer of the Year recipients, please visit www.sunlife.ca/VolunteerOfTheYear.

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 March 31, 2011, the Sun Life Financial group of companies had total assets under management of $469 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.