The effort put a smile on everyone’s face.
Local residents enjoyed tasty treats earlier this month while helping raise funds for the Children’s Treatment Centre of Chatham-Kent (CTCC-K), purchasing Smile Cookies at various Tim Hortons outlets in the municipality.
From April 29-May 5, the restaurant chain ran its Smile Cookie Campaign, supporting charities in communities across the country. The treatment centre was one of 550 charities to benefit.
Thanks to cookie purchases at outlets in Chatham, Wallaceburg and Dresden, the event raised $54,618 this year.
Local Tim Hortons owners Mike and Paula Grail, and the Pritchard family, directed funds raised from their outlets to support the CTCC-K.
This year’s campaign saw community members and CTC staff come together to contribute their time and efforts. More than 150 volunteers from the community assisted with baking and decorating Smile Cookies at the Chatham Armoury kitchen.
Throughout the course of the 7-day campaign, volunteers baked in excess of 29,000 cookies to assist in bulking up the supply that could be sold to the public.
The CTCC-K, which serves thousands of children each year, continues to benefit from the funds raised through this annual campaign. These contributions make a significant impact on the lives of children in our community with physical, developmental, or communication challenges, CTCC-K officials said.
The Smile Cookie Campaign has been a significant event since its inception in 1996, originally started to support the Hamilton Children’s Hospital. Over the years, it has grown into a major community engagement and fundraising initiative for Tim Hortons.