Smile Cookie campaign raises $48,000
Money raised during annual event to benefit Project Share of Niagara Falls, Brain Injury Community Re-entry (Niagara)
Local Tim Hortons restaurant owners and guests helped raise $48,000 to support Project Share and Brain Injury Community Re-entry (Niagara) during this year’s Smile Cookie campaign.
Project Share has been a charity recipient of the annual event for the past four years and this year it surpassed its 2019 total, receiving $24,000.
“With these funds, we can continue to provide emergency food and support services to our Niagara Falls neighbours in need,” said Pam Sharp, interim executive director for the food bank. “We are so incredibly grateful for the continued partnership of the Niagara Falls Tim Hortons owners and the generosity of our community who supported this campaign and helped ensure none of our neighbours go hungry.”
Across the country, Tim Hortons restaurant owners and millions of Canadians broke a new Smile Cookie record by raising $10.56 million for charities. In 2019, the campaign
raised what was then a record $9.8 million across Canada.
“We were absolutely blown away by the generosity of Canadians for our annual Smile Cookie campaign,” said Hope Bagozzi, chief marketing officer for Tim Hortons.
The Smile Cookie campaign began in 1996 to help raise funds for Hamilton Children’s Hospital.
Nationally, restaurant owners support more than 550 charities, hospitals and community programs through the campaign.
From Sept. 14 to 20, restaurant owners donated the full $1 from every freshly baked chocolate chunk Smile Cookie purchased to support charities in their communities.
Tim Hortons restaurants in Niagara Falls supported Project Share and Brain Injury Community Reentry (Niagara).
Project Share provides emergency food and services to 126 families on average per day who are living below the poverty line. It also helps less fortunate people in the community with various services such as utilities and housing.
Brain Injury Community Re-entry (Niagara) provides support services and rehabilitation to people living with the effects of an acquired brain injury.
Frank Greco, chief executive officer of Brain Injury Community Reentry (Niagara), said Tim Hortons has been “very good” to the organization, supporting its golf tournaments and other fundraising events.
He said the money raised by the Smile Cookie campaign will help pay for client services beyond what’s covered by Ontario Disability Support Program.
“For example, what we have done in the past is help people with issues related to maybe a dental procedure that’s needed and they don’t have that money — ODSP only covers so much, so we’ve been able to give them some extra money that way,” said Greco. “This type of money … really relates to helping our participants receive stuff that they don’t (normally) get or can’t afford to do.”