From May 1-7, Tim Hortons franchises across Canada held their annual Smile Cookie campaign to raise funds for local charities. For the ninth year in a row, all seven Tim Hortons locations across St. Thomas came together to support St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital (STEGH). We are thrilled to announce the largest Smile Cookie donation to date, with an incredible $65,232.37 raised. With today’s announcement, more than $335,000 has been donated to STEGH over the last nine years.

 “We are grateful for the ongoing support from our local Tim Hortons restaurant owners and their dedicated staff who make Smile Cookie week successful year after year,” said Tonya Sheldon, STEGH Vice President &CFO, Interim Foundation Executive Director. “Also, thank you to all of the volunteers who hand-decorated cookies and our tight-knit community for the overwhelming support of this fundraiser.”

 The STEGH Foundation’s mission is to partner with the community to support our hospital in the delivery of an excellent patient care experience. Tim Hortons has been a great community partner and this generous donation will support the purchase of a resuscitaire and patient monitor for the resuscitaire for the Women & Children’s Unit. Our healthcare teams use this equipment to provide safe and quality care to the approximately 700 babies born at STEGH annually.

 “We are happy to support our local hospital with Smile Cookie week,” said Diane Stewart, St. Thomas Tim Hortons restaurant owner. “Giving back to our community has always been a priority for us and we are proud to make a difference in the lives of patients and families at STEGH. I would also like to extend a big thank you to our customers for joining us in this important initiative.”

 The first-ever Smile Cookie campaign in 1996 raised funds to support Hamilton Children's Hospital. Since then, the annual charitable campaign has raised a total of more than $111million for charities and community groups that are selected every year by Tim Hortons restaurant owners. Recipients include local hospitals, community care organizations, food banks and schools.