Touchdown: Sun Life Financial continues to sponsor the Canadian Football League

TORONTO, June 28, 2013 /CNW/ - As the Canadian Football League (CFL) kicks off the 2013 season, Sun Life Financial is proud to continue its partnership with Canada's league and provide career and financial planning services to players through the CFL Players' Association.

Sun Life is pleased to be sponsoring the CFL, for the third year. For the 2013 season, we'll have a presence in the playoffs and at the 101^st Grey Cup in Regina in November. Sun Life branding will be visible in the end zone and on all players' jerseys.

"We're glad that Sun Life is a part of the CFL family," said CFL Commissioner, Mark Cohon. "We are expecting a great season ahead of us and Sun Life's involvement can only make it better."

Sun Life wants to ensure we cheer for and support players not only on the field but off - by providing advisor career seminars. When most professional athletes retire from sport, they still have many years ahead of them to focus on new career opportunities. Becoming an advisor with Sun Life Financial can be a rewarding, fulfilling transition.

"Sun Life is passionate about making life brighter for customers and for the communities where we live and work," said Mary De Paoli, EVP, Public & Corporate Affairs and Chief Marketing Officer, Sun Life Financial. "Our sponsorship with the CFL builds on a very successful 100^th Grey Cup last November, where more than one in three Canadians tuned in to watch some or all of the broadcast."

"Like Sun Life, the CFL is deeply rooted in communities so we really feel it's a natural fit for former players to make the transition to the Sun Life team," said Vicken Kazazian, President & Chair, Sun Life Financial Distributors (Canada) Inc. and Sun Life Financial Investment Services (Canada) Inc. "Our work with the CFL Players' Association provides options for players to consider a successful career with Sun Life after football."

This past year, three former CFL players from the Toronto Argonauts, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders became Sun Life advisors, thanks to Sun Life's education around an advisor career. They are among Sun Life's 3,700 advisors in close to 1,200 communities across Canada. Two proud Sun Life employees, who started as advisors and are now in management roles, are also former CFL players.

"The CFL Players' Association is very grateful for Sun Life's ongoing partnership," said Mike Morreale, President of the CFLPA. "Player development and career transition are a high priority for the CFLPA, and Sun Life is helping to make a real difference to CFL players, both during and after their football career."

Sun Life is planning other new and exciting initiatives for the 2013 season - so stay tuned!

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. Sun Life Financial and its partners have operations in key 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 March 31, 2013 the Sun Life Financial group of companies had total assets under management of $571 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.

SOURCE: Sun Life Financial Inc.