NHL player Max Domi teams up with thousands of Torontonians to walk to find a cure for type 1 diabetes

TORONTO, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NHL player, Max Domi will be walking at the Sun Life Walk to Cure Diabetes for JDRF’s Toronto event, joining over 40,000 Canadians taking part in Walk events from coast to coast.

Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 12, Domi will work with JDRF to increase awareness for type 1 diabetes by sharing his story about living with this chronic disease and lending his voice to help raise funds to support critical type 1 diabetes research advancements.

“You’ve got to control your diabetes, you can’t let it control you,” Domi says. “I am so excited to partner with JDRF Canada to help raise funds for the Sun Life Walk to Cure Diabetes. We’re closer than ever to finding a cure and we need your help.”

“Max is living proof that having type 1 diabetes shouldn’t stand in the way of achieving your goals,” President and CEO of JDRF Canada, Dave Prowten says. "JDRF is excited to team up with Max and put a face to this disease by sharing his story and inspiring Canadians to participate in the Sun Life Walk to Cure Diabetes for JDRF.”

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of the Walk and JDRF aims to raise $5.4 million with the support of Sun Life Financial as its new title sponsor, Bell Media as its National Media Sponsor and Max Domi, JDRF’s new National Spokesperson. “In the last decade, there have been some incredible research advancements in the areas of encapsulation, transplantation, stem cell therapies and artificial pancreas that have helped move us even closer to a cure for type 1 diabetes,” Prowten says. “We want to make these innovations happen sooner and with the support of our extraordinary new partners, we will continue to drive scientific progress that brings new treatments and therapies to people living with type 1 diabetes.”

Sun Life Financial has been involved with the Walk since 2014 as the National Sponsor, and this new partnership will continue to solidify Sun Life’s already strong commitment to diabetes in Canada as part of its overall strategy of helping to build healthy, sustainable communities for life. Sun Life Financial has committed more than $22 million in support of diabetes awareness, prevention, care and research initiatives since announcing its support of the cause in 2012.  Sun Life employees and advisors across the country will also team up with JDRF to drive fundraising efforts and raise much-needed research dollars.

“We’re proud to be named the title sponsor of JDRF’s signature walk event as we deepen our commitment to diabetes awareness, prevention, care and research,” President of Sun Life Financial Canada, Jacques Goulet says. “This new sponsorship is a natural extension of our long history of diabetes support and our existing partnership with JDRF. I’m particularly honoured to take on the role of Honorary Chair and rally our employees, advisors, Clients and Canadians to take part in the Walk and the fight against type 1 diabetes.”

Join the Walk in person by registering at jdrfwalk.ca or follow all the excitement using the official #SunLifeWalk and #JDRFWalk hashtags.

About JDRF Canada
JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. JDRF’s goal is to progressively remove the impact of T1D from people’s lives until we achieve a world without T1D. JDRF collaborates with a wide spectrum of partners and is the only organization with the scientific resources, regulatory influence, and a working plan to better treat, prevent, and eventually cure T1D. JDRF is the largest charitable supporter of T1D research. For more information, please visit jdrf.ca.

About Sun Life Financial in the community
At Sun Life Financial, we are committed to building sustainable, healthier communities for life and we're proud to hold the Caring Company designation from Imagine Canada. Community wellness is an important part of our sustainability commitment and we believe that by actively supporting the communities in which we live and work, we can help build a positive environment for our Clients, employees, advisors and shareholders. Our philanthropic support focuses on two key areas: health, with an emphasis on diabetes awareness, prevention, care and research initiatives through our Team Up Against Diabetes™ platform; and arts and culture, through our award-winning Making the Arts More Accessible™ program. We also partner with sports properties in key markets to further our commitment to healthy and active living. Our employees and advisors take great pride in volunteering over 29,000 hours each year and contribute to making life brighter for individuals and families across Canada. Read more about Sun Life Financial in the community.

For more information about the Sun Life Walk to Cure Diabetes for JDRF or to arrange interviews and/or photo opportunities with Max Domi, JDRF spokespeople and/or Sun Life spokespeople, please contact: