Smile cookie campaign raises $168K for local families in need

The purchase of a smile cookie from Tim Hortons this past September will help put food on the table for many Hamilton families this holiday season.

The most recent campaign raised $168,724 and every cent collected in Hamilton’s campaign will be split between Hamilton Food Share, and Food 4 Kids.

Food 4 Kids helps feed more than 1,200 hungry kids in Hamilton. Hamilton Food Share collects close to three million pounds of food every year and divides it among 12 local food banks and over 100 other food programs in the area. Every dollar donated to Food Share equals $5 worth of food.

“The incredible thing is they’re giving the full dollar of what the customer paid for the cookie. Tim Hortons is handling the baking and dough of the cookie, that’s so generous. It was a ‘made in Hamilton story’ that has grown and gone national,” said Celeste Taylor, Hamilton Food Share.

There are close to 13,000 Hamiltonians that rely on food banks every week, a third of them are children.

“Our stores in the central north end of Hamilton certainly see the need, I don’t think it’s limited to that area, I see need everywhere in the city. Once you identify it, you can’t not see it,” said Maureen Sauve, Tim Hortons.

The Sauve’s started the smile cookie program 25 years ago when their daughter was sick and it grew into a national campaign.

Tim Hortons’ owners in town hope to raise more than $200,000 next year.