Local Tim Hortons restaurant owner Paul Burke, and guests helped raise $13,152 for the Hawkesbury and District General Hospital (HGH) Foundation during the 2021 Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign.

“Our restaurant team members and I are happy to support the HGH Foundation,” Burke said. “We are so lucky to have such an amazing hospital, close to home, and we are proud to have contributed to its expansion and the development of its services over the past 11 years. Thank you to all of our guests for their support during our annual Smile Cookie campaign!”

Tim Hortons restaurant owners and millions of generous Canadians across the country combined broke a new Smile Cookie record by raising more than $12 million for local charities across the country this year, from September 13-19.

“Each and every year, Tim Hortons restaurant owners continue to go above and beyond to help raise funds for our annual Smile Cookie campaign and it’s truly inspiring to be a part of something so great and impactful,” said Hope Bagozzi, Chief Marketing Officer for Tim Hortons.

The full $1 from every freshly baked chocolate chunk Smile Cookie purchased that week from the Tim Hortons restaurants in Hawkesbury, L’Orignal and Vankleek Hill was donated to the HGH Foundation. The gift will be directed towards the HGH Foundation’s current campaign, ‘There’s No Place Like Home’. This campaign will support the purchase of essential medical equipment needed to bring new services to HGH such as cataract surgery, knee and hip replacements, advanced 3D mammography, and more. It will enable access to more specialty care, closer to home, with a focus on enhancing services in orthopedic surgery, urology, ophthalmology, endoscopy, and advanced mammography.

“We are so grateful to be the recipient of the funds from the local Smile Cookie campaign once again this year” said Erin Tabakman, Executive Director, HGH Foundation. “What a great initiative and gesture from Tim Hortons, and Tim Hortons owners and team members!”

“Special thanks to Mr. Burke and our local Tim Hortons restaurants’ team members, who have raised around $65,000 in recent years for HGH through their annual Smile Cookie campaigns. They are truly making a difference for their regional hospital, its patients, their families, and the entire community. Thank you also to those who purchased a Smile Cookie. Your support will help ensure that your loved ones can receive specialty medical care at HGH without the need to travel elsewhere.”

Smile Cookie Campaign Facts:

• In 2020, the Smile Cookie campaign raised $10.56 million across Canada.

• The Tim Hortons Smile Cookie program started in 1996, originally raising funds for Hamilton Children’s Hospital. Twenty-five years later, the annual charitable campaign has now raised a total of more than $77 million for charities selected every year by restaurant owners.

• Nationally, Tim Hortons restaurant owners support over 600 local charities, hospitals and community programs through the Smile Cookie campaign.