Sun Life Financial and the Montreal Canadiens have arranged for children suffering from type 1 diabetes to attend hockey camp. The initiative is part of the Montreal Canadiens Hockey School program, by le Dindon du Québec.

The camp is intended to teach children about the sport, as well as their disease. The Canadian Paediatric Society says there are currently 33,000 children aged 5 to 18 suffering from type 1 diabetes.

Encouraging children to learn hockey

"We are very grateful for Sun Life Financial's support, because without them, this special edition hockey camp would not have been possible", says Geneviève Paquette, Executive Director, Community Relations, Montreal Canadiens.  "We want to encourage children from all walks of life to learn the game of hockey and develop their physical skills. Thanks to the expertise provided by Dskate and the collaboration with Sun Life Financial, we are able to provide children living with type 1 diabetes the tools and skills they need to best manage their disease."

Managing their health

"Since we announced our support of diabetes in 2012, we've focused on diabetes awareness, prevention, care and research, with over $17 million committed to date," says Robert Dumas, President, Sun Life Financial, Quebec. "We're proud to continue our long-standing partnership with the Montreal Canadiens to provide children living with type 1 diabetes the chance to attend this hockey camp. This innovative collaboration will enable them to enjoy a unique sports experience and deepen their understanding of the disease in order to become more self-sufficient and knowledgeable in managing their health.

To learn more, visit www.nhl.com/canadiens/community/dskate.