City's first musical instrument lending library shares the sound of music with Torontonians

City's first musical instrument lending library shares the sound of music with Torontonians


TORONTO, April 7, 2016 /CNW/ - Starting today, Torontonians will have
access to the city's first musical instrument library - the Sun Life
Financial Musical Instrument Lending Library. Sun Life Financial and
the Toronto Public Library have created this innovative free program
that will provide residents with the opportunity to borrow a variety of
instruments.



Guitars, ukuleles, violins and portable keyboards are among the 100
instruments available - donated by Sun Life Financial to establish the
program. Sun Life Financial has also created a special series of short
videos to assist individuals with the use, care and enjoyment of the
instruments. Whether you're a seasoned musician in need of an
instrument or a beginner looking to learn a new skill, the Sun Life
Financial Musical Instrument Lending Library is the perfect program to
ignite your musical creativity.



This program is part of a national initiative that will see similar
musical lending libraries launched in cities across Canada this spring.
The Sun Life Financial Musical Instrument Lending Library will be
housed at Parkdale Branch. All instruments can be borrowed free of
charge with a valid Toronto Public Library card.



"We're so pleased that we can connect music lovers and learners to
instruments at the library, thanks to Sun Life Financial's generous
philanthropic donation," said Vickery Bowles, City Librarian at Toronto
Public Library. "We know how much music enriches life, but many
Torontonians don't have ready access to musical instruments for
financial reasons. Programs such as this one break down those barriers
and connect people to wonderful opportunities. I'm looking forward to
hearing stories of the music that people will be making thanks to the
Sun Life Financial Musical Instrument Lending Library."



Sun Life Financial believes that arts and culture should be celebrated
within our communities and made accessible to individuals and families,
regardless of their means - the focus of its award-winning Making the Arts More Accessible(TM) program. As such, Sun Life Financial has been a partner of the Toronto
Public Library since 2007, supporting the Sun Life Financial Museum +
Arts Pass program.



"This new program is a natural extension of our support of music
education, bringing music into the homes of residents across the city
of Toronto," said Paul Joliat, Assistant Vice-President, Philanthropy
and Sponsorships, Sun Life Financial. "We wish to help bring the joy of
music to more peoples' lives."



The library will also be holding a Musical Instrument Donation Drive
running month-long until May 7(th). Torontonians may drop off their new or gently used musical instrument
donations at Parkdale Branch and two participating Long & McQuade
locations in Toronto. Please visit tpl.ca/instrumentlending for more information.



The Sun Life Financial Musical Instrument Lending Library was developed
and executed in collaboration with Shaw Saltzberg ofNextStage Entertainment Ltd.


About Toronto Public Library

Toronto Public Library is one of the world's busiest urban public
library systems. Every year, 19 million people visit library branches
in neighbourhoods across the city and borrow 32 million items. To learn
more about Toronto Public Library, visit torontopubliclibrary.ca or call Answerline at 416-393-7131. To get the most current updates on
what's happening at the library, follow @torontolibrary on Twitter.


About Sun Life Financial

Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services
organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth
products and services to individuals and corporate customers. Sun Life
Financial has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including
Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the
Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore,
Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of December 31, 2015, the Sun Life
Financial group of companies had total assets under management of $891
billion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.



Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and
Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.


Note to Editors: All figures in Canadian dollars.

SOURCE Sun Life Financial Canada

Sun Life Financial Canada

CONTACT:
Media Relations Contacts:  Michelle Leung 
Communications Officer   
Toronto Public Library 
media@torontopubliclibrary.ca
T. 416-397-5936  Gannon Loftus
Manager, Media & PR
Sun Life Financial
gannon.loftus@sunlife.com
T. 647-228-8244


-------
Profile: intent