A generous donation from Manulife to the YMCAs
of Québec will encourage thousands of children to get moving and
stay active for life
MONTRÉAL, Dec. 8, 2017 /CNW
Telbec/ - Thanks to a generous donation of $500,000 from Manulife to the YMCAs of Québec,
thousands of children under the age of 12 will develop the basic
motor skills, confidence and motivation they need to stay active
throughout their lives. Today, Mr. Richard
Payette, President and CEO of Manulife Quebec, along with
Stéphane Vaillancourt, President and CEO of the YMCAs of Québec,
officially announced that the company will support the development
of a physical literacy program at the YMCA.
"Our presence at the Maison Manuvie represents the beginning
of a new era for our organization in Quebec. To mark this turning point in our
history, Manulife is very proud to make this donation to the YMCAs
of Québec," said Richard
Payette, President and CEO, Manulife Quebec. "This is
further evidence of Manulife's continued commitment to promoting
healthy living, and reinforces our commitment to Quebec."
"I am very happy that a company such as Manulife has the
confidence in our ability to make the most of their donation by
helping more children in more communities learn how to be
physically active in our community and sports centres," says
Stéphane Vaillancourt, President and CEO of the YMCAs of
Québec.
Research has shown that children need at least 60 minutes of
physical activity per day. But in reality, only 9% of children get
that much exercise. A potential public health crisis lies ahead.
Manulife and the YMCA believe that it's just as important for
children to learn how to be physically active as it is for them to
learn how to read or write. According to one YMCA family, the
Giguère-Choquettes: "Our weekends used to revolve around what was
on TV. Now, it's hard to remember a day we spent doing nothing. The
kids saw us being active, so they're doing the same. When
they're twenty they'll do it too, not because they have to, but
because it's a part of who they've become." The whole family has
completely changed their lifestyle, and sports have become an
important part of their lives.
Eager to offer the gift of health to a new generation, Manulife
has become a major partner in the YMCA's physical literacy program.
Historically, Manulife and Standard Life (the Canadian operations
of which Manulife acquired in 2015) have consistently demonstrated
support for the YMCA in Quebec. As
part of the YMCA Springboard for Life Campaign, the Y has
received an aggregate commitment of $
1,250,000 to continue its mission with youth and
families.
About Manulife
Manulife
Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services
group that helps people achieve their dreams and aspirations by
putting customers' needs first and providing the right advice and
solutions. We operate primarily as John
Hancock in the United
States and Manulife elsewhere. We provide financial
advice, insurance, as well as wealth and asset management solutions
for individuals, groups and institutions. At the end of 2016, we
had approximately 35,000 employees, 70,000 agents, and thousands of
distribution partners, serving more than 22 million customers. As
of September 30, 2017, we had over
$1 trillion (US$806 billion) in assets under management and
administration, and in the previous 12 months we made $27.1 billion in payments to our customers. Our
principal operations are in Asia,
Canada and the United States where we have served
customers for more than 100 years. With our global headquarters in
Toronto, Canada, we trade as 'MFC'
on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges
and under '945' in Hong
Kong.
About the YMCAs of Québec
The YMCAs of Québec is a charitable organization that builds
stronger communities by providing opportunities for everyone to
lead fulfilling, active, healthy and engaged lives. Its 10 YMCA
centres, International Language School, Residence, Camp YMCA
Kanawana and its 34 service sites across the province are visited
each year by more than 115,000 people. The first YMCA in North
America was founded in Montréal in November 1851. The
YMCAs of Québec is part of the Canadian network of 47 YMCA
associations. For more information,
visit ymcaquebec.org and
our Facebook and Twitter pages.
SOURCE YMCA