John Hancock #GivingTuesday Effort Sets Single-Day Boston Marathon Fundraising Record

BOSTON, Dec. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock's second annual #GivingTuesday campaign set a new single-day Boston Marathon fundraising record. On #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, $934,285 was raised through 7,717 donations, surpassing last year's total of $580,881 through 4,291 donations. 

The 2016 figures represent a 61% increase in the total raised and an 80% increase in the number of donations made. Of the $934,285 total, $812,579 came in through online donations compared to $500, 211 in 2015. 141 different non-profit organizations received donations. All donations were captured on CrowdRise, the online platform used for Boston Marathon fundraising.

"This was an amazing #GivingTuesday campaign that far exceeded our expectations," said Thomas Crohan, AVP & Counsel, Corporate Responsibility & Government Relations. "We are proud to play a role, but these results reflect the amazing dedication of the runners, the incredible generosity of donors, and the spirit that surrounds the Boston Marathon. Congratulations to all the runners, and the organizations they are supporting, for the difference they are making."

For its part, John Hancock will donate $2,620 to the South Boston Neighborhood House on behalf of Robert Boyda, for being the top Boston Marathon fundraiser on CrowdRise on #GivingTuesday. Boyda raised $19,450 for the South Boston Neighborhood House.

In addition, John Hancock will donate $1,000 to the causes of the following individuals who placed second through tenth in their fundraising efforts on #GivingTuesday:

Matthew Gousie raised $12,745 for Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress  
Jeff Somers raised $11,365 for The American Red Cross of Massachusetts
Lukas Gaffney raised $10,799.00 for Boston Medical Center 
Robert Taylor raised $10,000 for The ALS Association Massachusetts Chapter
Brett Gordon raised $10,000 for Project Hope 
Nicole Geller raised $8,100 for CYCLE Kids Boston 
Chris Menard raised $7,225 for the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation 
Hannah Libby raised $7,212 Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries            
Kat Sullivan raised $7,080 for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center 

Finally, John Hancock pledged to make two $500 donations on behalf of two individuals who raised at least $1,000 on CrowdRise on #GivingTuesday. 261 runners raised at least $1,000. John Sconyers, running for Massachusetts General Hospital, and Amy Dresser, running for MetroWest YMCA, were selected to receive those donations.

Runners will continue to fundraise and train as they prepare to participate in the 121^st Boston Marathon on April 17, 2017. Visit www.CrowdRise.com/2017BostonMarathon to track their progress.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife

John Hancock Financial is a division of Manulife, a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. Operating as Manulife in Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, the group of companies offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Assets under management and administration by Manulife and its subsidiaries were $966 billion (US $736 billion) as at September 30, 2016. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers and administers a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, investments,  401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.

About CrowdRise

CrowdRise is the world's largest and fastest growing online platform dedicated exclusively to charitable fundraising. CrowdRise is used by millions of individuals, tens of thousands of charities, hundreds of companies and many of the most famous artists and athletes in the world to creatively leverage their resources and networks to unlock the power of the crowd to support positive social missions and create massive impact.

Founded by actor Edward Norton, film producer Shauna Robertson and Robert and Jeffrey Wolfe, CrowdRise has conceived, implemented and powered campaigns that have raised hundreds of millions of dollars to date. For more information visit www.CrowdRise.com.

SOURCE John Hancock Financial