The annual Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign is back, helping charitable organizations such as the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation (UHKF) in communities across Canada.
For one week, starting Monday, Sept. 14, Tim Hortons restaurant owners in Kingston are generously donating all proceeds from the sales of the special chocolate chunk cookie sporting a smile in stylish icing to UHKF. The funds will be used to support the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Kingston General Hospital (KGH).
The Smile Cookie campaign runs September 14-20. “We are fortunate to live in a community with some of the most specialized and innovative health care in Canada. We want to make a difference in the lives of some of the tiniest patients at KGH through the sales of Smile Cookies,” says Leanne O’Mara, on behalf of the Tim Hortons restaurant owners in Kingston. “The generosity of our loyal guests and commitment of staff in the local restaurants is what makes this campaign such a wonderful success.”
In 2014, the campaign raised a record $67,724 for the NICU. The funds help purchase state-of-the-art incubators, ventilators and more that are needed to help support fragile babies. As Dr. Bob Connelly, medical director of pediatrics says, the campaign helps three groups of people. The first is the babies who are born very prematurely or sick. The second group is the baby’s family members who have been waiting, anticipating the birth of their healthy child. “It’s a traumatic time. Imagine if their baby would need to be taken to Toronto or Ottawa for support, separating the family at a critical time,” he says. Finally, the Smile Cookie campaign sends a strong message to hospital staff to let them know the community supports the often emotionally difficult work that they do.
Nationally, Tim Hortons restaurant owners support more than 350 local charities through the annual Smile Cookie fundraiser.
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