SCHOOL ON WHEELS OF MASSACHUSETTS AND STUDENT JACKENSEN VERDUL HONORED AS 2014 SUN LIFE FINANCIAL RISING STARS

(BROCKTON, MA) – The Brockton-based nonprofit organization, School on Wheels of Massachusetts (SOWMA), and SOWMA student Jackensen Verdul were presented with 2014 Sun Life Rising Star Awards from the U.S. business group of Sun Life Financial during a ceremony at the TD Garden in November. Founded by Easton resident Cheryl Opper in 2004, SOWMA has grown into a leading provider of academic support and one-on-one mentoring for students impacted by homelessness in Massachusetts. Currently working with children and teens in shelters, schools, and hotels in Brockton, New Bedford, Norwell, Randolph, Stoughton, and Weymouth, SOWMA strives to provide all students impacted by homelessness with the resources they need to break the cycle of poverty through mentoring and a quality education.

Verdul, a student at New Bedford High School, competes in sports and enjoys giving back to the community. He plans to continue tutoring and coaching children at the Harbour House shelter after the school year ends.

The Sun Life Rising Star Awards provide financial resources and education to students and nonprofit organizations committed to increasing success in high school and beyond. The 2014 Awards will provide Verdul with a $5,000 scholarship for college, and SOWMA with a $50,000 grant to continue its work on behalf of teens impacted by homelessness. As a Sun Life Rising Star recipient, Verdul will also be invited to apply for summer internship opportunities with the company following his freshman year of college. This is the third time in five years that SOWMA has been named a Sun Life Rising Star award winner.

Photo Caption:

Attending the recent 2014 Sun Life Rising Star Awards Ceremony at TD Garden are (from left): SOWMA founder and Executive Director Cheryl Opper; Ed Milano, Vice President of Marketing at Sun Life Financial; SOWMA student Jackensen Verdul; Boston Celtics Guard Rajon Rondo; West End House Rising Star Award recipient Chi Kwok; Derek Warner, Regional Group Manager at Sun Life Financial; and West End House Executive Director Andrea Howard.

ABOUT SCHOOL ON WHEELS OF MASSACHUSETTS

School on Wheels of Massachusetts (SOWMA) is the only organization in Massachusetts providing one-on-one afterschool tutoring, new backpacks and school supplies, and educational advocacy and support to children impacted by homelessness in multiple locations. SOWMA is dedicated to providing every child with the tools needed to achieve his or her full potential.

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. The Sun Life Financial group of companies operates under the “Sun Life Financial” name strictly as a marketing name and no legal significance is expressed or implied. 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, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Bermuda. In the United States and elsewhere, insurance products are offered by members of the Sun Life Financial group that are insurance companies. In the United States, Sun Life Financial provides a range of products and services to employers and their employees, including Group and Voluntary Accident, Critical Illness, Dental, Disability, Life, and Stop-Loss Insurance Products. 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. Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE), and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com/us.

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.

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