Phoenix Suns and Sun Life Financial Present $110,000 inGrants and Scholarships to Phoenix Nonprofits and RisingStar Students at Suns� Pre-game Ceremony

WELLESLEY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The U.S. business group of Sun Life Financial Inc.(NYSE:SLF) (TSX:SLF)

today announced Phoenix's Sun Life Rising Star Award recipients,

providing $110,000 in grants and scholarships to two community

organizations, Boys Girls Clubs of the East Valley and

New Pathways for Youth (formerly Phoenix Youth at Risk) as well as

an exemplary student nominated by each: Gilbert High School's Nick

Groth, and Metro Tech High School's Diana Gutierrez.

Phoenix Suns front-office executives helped Sun Life Group Sales

Manager Mindy Schulz surprise the students with their

scholarships at a special presentation prior to the Suns vs. Bulls game

at US Airways Center. The winners were also treated to an on-court photo

and were recognized at halftime for their achievements.

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.

"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.

A four-person judging panel comprised of Phoenix's foremost government

officials, community and business leaders selected the Sun Life Rising

Star Awards winners based on the following criteria:

Nonprofit's commitment to developing and 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 Phoenix Sun Life Rising Stars:

Boys Girls Clubs of the East Valley - Boys Girls

Clubs of the East Valley is a community-based character building youth

development organization. They deliver the highest quality programs and

provide opportunities to assist youth and teens in developing their

self-esteem, values and skills in a fun and safe environment. Boys

Girls Clubs of the East Valley professionals guide members through

personal, educational, and social development, to realize their full

potential and become positive, value-oriented and productive citizens.

Please visit www.clubzona.org

for more information.

Student Recipient: Nick Groth, Gilbert High School

Nick works for Boys and Girls Clubs of the East Valley where he served

as a Leader in Training (LIT) for 3 summers and was named Youth of the

Year for the Clubs in 2012. He also served as the president of the

Gilbert Branch's Keystone Club in the 2011-2012 academic year. Nick is a

member of the Gilbert High School varsity football and varsity wrestling

teams, holds a 3.6 GPA in school and hopes to attend college to become

an orthopedic surgeon.

New Pathways for Youth (formerly Phoenix Youth at Risk) - New

Pathways for Youth, formerly known as Phoenix Youth at Risk, makes new

futures possible for area children and youth through mentoring and

value-driven programs. They strive to ensure that all youth achieve

their full potential. Through the structured mentoring programs, New

Pathways for Youth helps at-risk and homeless children and teens learn

to dream again, and make those dreams a reality.

Student Recipient: Diana Gutierrez, Metro Tech

High School

Diana is a math tutor at Metro Tech High School and volunteers at

Mitchell Elementary School (her alma mater) and Golden Gate Community

Center. Diana ranks third in her class of 612 with a 3.842

unweighted/4.526 weighted GPA and has been accepted to the National

Honor Society. She is bilingual in English and Spanish and intermediate

in American Sign Language, is a member of Arizona Quest for Kids, Be A

Leader Program, the American Sign Language Club, Future Business Leaders

of America, and the Science Club.

The judging panel included: CBIZ Benefits Insurance Services, Inc.

Vice President Mike Barberio; Willis Senior Vice President Joanne

Mizell; City of Phoenix, Office of the Mayor Senior Policy Advisor Dr.

Trino Sandoval; and Vernon L. Slaughter, PC Principal/Entertainment

Attorney Vernon Slaughter, Esq. 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 http://videomathtutor.com/Algebra/ 1865, Sun Life Financial and itspartners 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 Math Tutor 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.