|
| [November 07, 2012] |
 |
Celtics Co-Owner Steve Pagliuca, Star Guard Avery Bradley, and Sun Life Financial Present $110,000 in Grants and Scholarships to Boston Nonprofits and Rising Star Students at Celtics Pre-game Ceremony
WELLESLEY, Mass. --(Business Wire)--
The U.S. business group of Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE: SLF, TSX: SLF)
today announced Boston's Sun Life Rising Star Award recipients,
providing $110,000 in grants and scholarships to two community
organizations City Year Boston and Sociedad Latina and an
exemplary student nominated by each: Jeremiah E. Burke High School's Terel
Andrews and East Boston High School's Vickie Miranda.
Boston Celtics Co-Owner Steve Pagliuca and guard Avery Bradley helped
Sun Life Vice President of Human Resources Sean Woodroffe,
Voluntary Benefits Distribution National Sales Manager Tom Gilligan
and Regional Vice President Mike Joyce surprise the students with
their scholarships at a special presentation prior to the Celtics vs.
Wizards game at TD Garden. Sun Life has been a sponsor of the Boston
Celtics since 2010.
The Sun Life Rising Star Awards program recognizes nonprofits that
redress low high school graduation rates and honors outstanding students
who have overcome significant obstacles to succeed. The program also
promotes financial literacy as a means to achieve life-long financial
wellness and stability. Each winning organization receives a $50,000
grant and selects an exemplary student they work with to receive a
$5,000 college scholarship. Since the program's inception, Sun Life has
granted nearly $3 million to 54 students and 47 nonprofit organizations
across the country. This year, Sun Life expanded the program to seven
cities from five in 2011, and will award grants and scholarships to
students and nonprofits in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston,
Philadelphia, Phoenix and South Florida.
The winners and their families were treated to meet and greets with
Pagliuca and Bradley and watched the game from a luxury suite. Pagliuca
served on this year's Rising Star judging panel along with other
prominent local business and community members.
"We are making an investment in our youth, our education system and the
workforce of tomorrow through our Sun Life Rising Star Awards program,"
said Sun Life Financial U.S. President Wes Thompson. "It's a privilege
to reward these incredible students who have persevered in the face of
adversity and stayed committed to furthering their education. We believe
they need only opportunity and support to realize their full potential."
In addition to monetary support, the Sun Life Rising Star Awards program
will provide winning organizations with educational curriculum and
resources to increase financial literacy among students. Sun Life
recently partnered with dfree®, a movement developed by Dr. DeForest B.
Soaries Jr. to galvanize the public to overcome the culture of debt and
attain financial self-sufficiency. Sun Life and dfree® will provide the
students and nonprofits with Breaking Free Workbooks, which
includes interactive activities and tools to encourage debt-free living.
"It is an honor to join Sun Life in recognizing these incredible
students and community organizations for their tireless efforts and
commitment to bettering the lives of under-served youth in Boston," said
Pagliuca.
An eight-person judging panel comprised of Boston's foremost sports,
education, community, media and business leaders selected the Sun Life
Rising Star Awards winners based on the following criteria:
-
Nonprofit's commitment to developing ad promoting skills that
directly translate to educational engagement and matriculation rates
for secondary school youth under the age of 21
-
Nonprofit's demonstrated partnership with a secondary or
post-secondary educational institution
-
Nonprofit's documented ability to respond to the needs of specific
groups of youth in a manner yielding measurable results
-
Student nominee's plan to pursue post-secondary education, leadership
qualities, commitment to his or her community, and a 750-word essay on
how financial education contributes to future success
2012 Boston Sun Life Rising Stars:
City Year Boston - City Year unites young people of all
backgrounds for a year of full-time service, giving them the skills and
opportunities to change the world. As tutors, mentors and role models,
these diverse young leaders help children stay in school and on track,
and transform schools and communities across the United States, and
through international affiliates in Johannesburg, South Africa and
London, England. In Boston, 265 corps members serve more than 11,000
students in 21 of the city's lowest performing schools during the
2012-2013 school year.
Student Recipient: Terel Andrews, Jeremiah E.
Burke High School
Terel is a leader, setting an outstanding example for peers through his
commitment to attendance, studies and football. He impressed teachers
and City Year staff by embracing academic challenges and maintaining
high grades. Last spring he traveled to Cape Verde to volunteer as an
English tutor for younger students and helped paint their school. When
he returned to Boston he organized a campaign to collect and send school
supplies to the children he'd worked with. Terel plans to apply to
colleges in Massachusetts and Virginia.
Sociedad Latina - Sociedad Latina - Since 1968,
Sociedad Latina has worked in partnership with Latino youth and families
to close the achievement gap, end inequity in education, and disrupt
destructive cycles of poverty in their community. Through a culturally
proficient youth development model, "Pathways to Success," Sociedad
Latina pioneers new and innovative solutions to the most pressing issues
facing Latino youth today, supporting positive youth development from
age 8-21, creating a community that supports young people, and training
youth to advocate for themselves and their communities.
Student Recipient: Vickie Miranda, East Boston
High School
Vickie Miranda is a Youth Community Organizer at Sociedad Latina, where
her student team has interviewed hundreds of Boston students about their
cultural needs, created a film and presented findings to the Boston City
Council, School Committee and superintendent. She is a strong advocate
for English Language Learners, and translates for members of her own
family. She has a strong interest in health and for the past three
summers worked at Brigham & Women's Hospital. She also sits on the Youth
Advisory Board of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation. Vickie plans to
pursue women's health as a first-generation college student.
In addition to Pagliuca, the judging panel included: WCVB-TV Anchor Liz
Brunner; Consulate General of Canada in Boston Media & Political
Affairs Officer Lisa Carrie; NESN Sports Anchor Jamison Coyle;
New England Revolution (News - Alert) Head Coach Jay Heaps; Boston Globe
Publisher Chris Mayer; Educational Leadership & Higher Education,
Boston College Lynch School of Education Assistant Professor Heather
Rowan-Kenyon, PhD.; and Boston Centers for Youth and Family Deputy
Chief of Human Services, City of Boston Adalberto Teixeira. For
more information on the Sun Life Rising Star Awards, please visit www.sunliferisingstar.com.
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. In the United States and elsewhere,
insurance products are offered by members of the Sun Life Financial
group that are insurance companies. Sun Life Financial Inc., the holding
company for the Sun Life Financial group of companies, is a public
company. It is not an insurance company and does not offer insurance
products for sale in the United States or elsewhere, and does not
guarantee the obligations of its insurance company subsidiaries. In the
United States, Sun Life Financial provides a range of products and
services to employers and their employees, including group and voluntary
life, disability, dental and stop-loss insurance products. These
products are issued by Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada in all
states except New York. In New York, these products are issued by Sun
Life Insurance and Annuity Company of New York. Product offerings may
not be available in all states and may vary depending on state laws and
regulations. For more information please visit www.sunlife.com/us.
Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and
Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.
About the Boston Celtics
A charter member of the Basketball Association of America (which evolved
into the National Basketball Association) since 1946, the Boston Celtics
have won a record 17 NBA Championships, including eight (8) in a row
from 1959-1966, and have won NBA titles in three different eras. In
addition, 32 former Celtics players, management or staff have been
inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In December
2002 the team returned to local ownership for the first time since 1963.
For more information on the Celtics, log on to www.celtics.com.
SLPC 24593 (11/12) Exp. 11/17
[ Sports Techy's Homepage ]
|
