The iconic Smile Cookie fundraiser has returned.
This year’s campaign will support the George Jeffery Children’s Centre and the Dew Drop Inn in Thunder Bay, with proceeds from each $2 cookie split evenly between the two charities.
The campaign will run from April 27 to May 3.
“This is gong on, like, our 30th year of Smile Cookies, so it’s just great this program has been able to support the community for so many years,” said local Tim Horton’s franchisee Melanie Williamson. “The program has been successful every year.”
Smile Cookies raised $96,000 in Thunder Bay and $22.6 million across North America last year.
“Community support such as this helps the Dew Drop Inn serve a good meal every day,” said Dew Drop Inn Executive Director Michael Quibell. “We were looking forward to the announcement of who’d be in it this year, and when we got it, we were all doing happy dances at the Inn. It’s such a great fundraiser.”
This is the Dew Drop Inn’s second year in partnership with Tim Horton’s. The George Jeffery Children’s Centre (GJCC) has been a partner for nine years now.
“It’s amazing to be here another year,” said GJCC CEO Tina Bennett. “We’re always looking for specialized equipment for children and their families, things that our government funding doesn’t cover. So [the Smile Cookie funds will likely go to] anything in that area.”
Bennett said since it’s the Children Centre’s 65th anniversary, she’s looking to pass $65,000 in funds this year.
Tim Hortons is looking for volunteers to help decorate the cookies with their signature blue eyes and pink smiles. High school students can receive volunteer hours for taking part. Click here to sign up.
“We need all hands on deck to make sure we have enough for the community to purchase,” Bennett said. “Some of [the smiles] are kind of goofy looking. No one is alike, and that’s fantastic.”
