Sun Life makes $900,000 commitment to kid-focused charitable organization

Sun Life has revealed that it will make a $900,000 investment in Right to Play’s PLAY Program, which offers Indigenous children and youth play-based, culturally-competent programming.

“The Indigenous community continues to face enormous challenges in Canada because of inequalities in Indigenous health status, including physical, social, emotional, and mental health and wellbeing,” said Sun Life Health president Dave Jones. “Many Indigenous children are denied access to quality education and experience significantly poorer health than non-Indigenous children. That’s why Sun Life is committed to supporting youth in Indigenous communities with access to the important health and wellness resources they need.”

The amount will be given over the course of three years, a release said. Sun Life has also been a partner of Right to Play’s PLAY Program since 2015, and the insurer has invested a total of over $2 million in the program, to date.

“We are thrilled to renew our partnership with Sun Life and look forward to the new opportunities this generous donation brings to the PLAY Program and Indigenous communities,” said Right to Play Canadian national director Susan Vardon. “This funding will improve access to critical programming for approximately 2,000 children and youth from 25 Indigenous communities across the country.”

Last month, Sun Life announced that it would commit a total of $3.7 million in donations to aid mental health programs for at-risk and marginalized youth in Canada. The ten partner organizations to receive the funding include Atlantic Wellness, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation, Carizon Family and Community Services, Foundry BC, Lay-Up, Michael Garron Hospital and Michael Garron Hospital Foundation, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Foundation, OK2BME, Unity Charity, and VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation.