Sun Life Assurance will be Raptors first ever jersey sponsor
The NBA will introduce jersey sponsorships for next season and Sun Life Assurance will be the first company to adorn the jersey of the Toronto Raptors. It represents a real coup for the insurer and furthers a long-standing partnership with the franchise. Central to the relationship is the fight against diabetes, which is a cause both the Raptors and Sun Life have collaborated on for over four years. According to Paul Joliat, assistant vice-president, Philanthropy & Sponsorships at Sun Life Financial, it is a worrying issue for the entire country. In combatting the illness, awareness is key, so who better to team-up with than one of the biggest names in basketball, explains Joliat.
“From a corporate perspective, we see the devastating impact that diabetes has on the well-being of Canadians on a daily basis,” he says. “Our goal is to help individuals lead healthier, active lifestyles. Diabetes is a disease that is reaching epidemic proportions; the World Health Organisation has called it the epidemic of the 21st century.”
When analysing the increasing prevalence of diabetes, it becomes clear that this is largely a preventable disease. Type-2 diabetes is by far the most common strain, but with healthy eating and exercise it is a malady that can be avoided. Professional athletes are role models to the public, so their voice is often heard louder than that of a charity or a company like Sun Life, making the Raptors’ involvement in the program vital to its success.
“We have committed more than $17 million to fight diabetes here in Canada and around the world,” says Joliat. “In the process we have been teaming up with various charities and organisations to help generate awareness and encourage participation in prevention-related programs. That’s what we will be doing with the Raptors, working with the team to encourage people to live a healthier, active lifestyle.”
Looking at the statistics, the Sun Life program looks timely – recent data shows that 3.4 million Canadians or 9.3% of the population suffer from diabetes. This is compounded by the fact that diabetes prevalence is expected to increase by 44% between 2015 and 2025. Aside from the pain and suffering of the individuals and families affected, there is a huge impact on the country as a whole stemming from the disease. According to the study: An Economic Tsunami: The Cost of Diabetes in Canada, the annual economic burden of diabetes in Canada is expected to be about $17.9 billion by 2020.
The need to act now when it comes to preventative measures is clear, especially when you consider that a significant amount of people aren’t even aware they are suffering from the disease.
“Statistics from Diabetes Canada shows that more than 1 million Canadians actually have diabetes already but don’t even realize it,” says Joliat. “So a lot of our work is trying to create awareness about the risk factors. It could mean getting people to take an online risk assessment test to see how at risk there are of developing the disease.”
Related stories:
Former Sun Life president sets up emergency health insurance platform
Partnership promises to decrease cost of diabetes healthcare for Canadians
“From a corporate perspective, we see the devastating impact that diabetes has on the well-being of Canadians on a daily basis,” he says. “Our goal is to help individuals lead healthier, active lifestyles. Diabetes is a disease that is reaching epidemic proportions; the World Health Organisation has called it the epidemic of the 21st century.”
When analysing the increasing prevalence of diabetes, it becomes clear that this is largely a preventable disease. Type-2 diabetes is by far the most common strain, but with healthy eating and exercise it is a malady that can be avoided. Professional athletes are role models to the public, so their voice is often heard louder than that of a charity or a company like Sun Life, making the Raptors’ involvement in the program vital to its success.
“We have committed more than $17 million to fight diabetes here in Canada and around the world,” says Joliat. “In the process we have been teaming up with various charities and organisations to help generate awareness and encourage participation in prevention-related programs. That’s what we will be doing with the Raptors, working with the team to encourage people to live a healthier, active lifestyle.”
Looking at the statistics, the Sun Life program looks timely – recent data shows that 3.4 million Canadians or 9.3% of the population suffer from diabetes. This is compounded by the fact that diabetes prevalence is expected to increase by 44% between 2015 and 2025. Aside from the pain and suffering of the individuals and families affected, there is a huge impact on the country as a whole stemming from the disease. According to the study: An Economic Tsunami: The Cost of Diabetes in Canada, the annual economic burden of diabetes in Canada is expected to be about $17.9 billion by 2020.
The need to act now when it comes to preventative measures is clear, especially when you consider that a significant amount of people aren’t even aware they are suffering from the disease.
“Statistics from Diabetes Canada shows that more than 1 million Canadians actually have diabetes already but don’t even realize it,” says Joliat. “So a lot of our work is trying to create awareness about the risk factors. It could mean getting people to take an online risk assessment test to see how at risk there are of developing the disease.”
Related stories:
Former Sun Life president sets up emergency health insurance platform
Partnership promises to decrease cost of diabetes healthcare for Canadians
