The NBA partners up with Sun Life financial Canada to help launch first ever Dunk for Diabetes youth basketball program in Quebec

The National Basketball Association, the Toronto Raptors, Sun Life Financial along with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada partnered up to help expand the Dunk for Diabetes (Basket pour le diabete) program in Quebec which is the first of its kind ever in the French province.

Friday night, the Dawson Boys and Girls Club hosted the official launch of the program welcoming hundreds of kids and teenagers from the Verdun area. The purpose of the program is to further encourage a healthy lifestyle that focuses on remaining active in order to prevent type 2 diabetes.

A newly refurbished basketball court was revealed today by NBA Canada and Sun Life. The local community and the Dawson Boys and Girls Club will benefit from the newly reconstructed facility.

"For us, at Sun Life, true wealth is about health and adopting a healthy lifestyle. With the Dunk for Diabetes program, which is being launched today in Quebec, we are continuing our efforts to stop the progression of type 2 diabetes in the country”, commented Sun Life financial Canada’s president, Jacques Goulet.

The president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada Owen Charters also highlighted the importance of physical activity and healthy lifestyles mentioning that they are keys to minimizing long-term health risks for children and youth.

“Thanks to the generosity of Sun Life Financial and the NBA, we are excited to expand the very successful Dunk for Diabetes program to Boys and Girls Clubs in Quebec and use the power of sport to bring prevention and awareness of type 2 diabetes to more young people”, he said.