Sun Life Rising Star Awards Program to Give $165,000 in Grants and Scholarships to Nonprofit Organizations and High School Seniors in the Greater New York City Area

The Sun Life Rising Star Awards program announced it is accepting applications from New York City-area nonprofit organizations that work with at-risk youth to win one of three $50,000 grants that will be distributed in the New York City area. As part of the application process, each nonprofit will have the opportunity to nominate a student who participates in the organization for a chance to receive a $5,000 scholarship. The Sun Life Rising Star Awards program is a new program supported by the U.S. division of Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE:SLF, TSX:SLF), developed to recognize and provide resources to high school students who have overcome the odds and remained committed to furthering their education and the nonprofit organizations who work on their behalf.

New York City is one of six cities that the program will visit this year. The awards program will give away a total of $1,000,000 in grants and scholarships in 2010. New York City-area applications will be accepted January 19, 2010 through March 1, 2010 and can be downloaded from www.sunliferisingstar.com.

"At Sun Life Financial, we believe improving educational opportunities for our nation’s youth is a top priority, which is why we decided to make an investment in the lives of exceptional students and the organizations that support their educational and personal development,” said Wes Thompson, President, Sun Life Financial U.S. "In addition to grants and scholarships, the Sun Life Rising Star Awards program will provide training, education, and other resources to support New York City-area nonprofits and students.”

PROGRAM DETAILS

Applications received from the New York City area will be reviewed by an independent judging panel consisting of local community leaders and educators. To be considered for funding, an organization must be designated as nonprofit and work with children under the age of 21 in the areas of education engagement and/or increasing high school graduation rates. In addition to grant money, each organization will receive training, materials and the curriculum necessary to develop and provide financial education for the youth in its program.

Organizations will also have the opportunity to nominate one extraordinary high school senior who is actively involved in the program and:

• Plans to pursue post-secondary education (i.e. college, trade school)
• Exhibits leadership qualities beyond their years
• Participates in community activities

National Award Winners

All winning organizations will be automatically considered for an additional $50,000 grant to further their mission. Winning students will be invited to enter an essay competition where one student will be selected as the National Sun Life Rising Star award winner and receive a scholarship worth up to $50,000 payable over four years. The national award winners will be announced in late 2010.

For more information on the Sun Life Rising Star Awards program, 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. As of September 30, 2009, the Sun Life Financial Group of companies had total assets under management of US $385.3 billion.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under ticker symbol SLF. Visit Sun Life Financial's website at www.sunlife.com/us.

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