(L to R: Ryan Irwin, Mandy Irwin, Ronza Reynard, Sharon Tangonan.)
The Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign has once again proved a success, with $7,477 raised in Estevan during its festive edition. Half of the proceeds will go to the Estevan Salvation Army, while the other half will support Tim’s Camps.
This marks the first time the Estevan Salvation Army has been a recipient of the fundraiser. Community ministries director Ronza Reynard said the campaign ran smoothly, thanks to a strong team of volunteers.
“We had a lot of people sign up to come down and help. The whole process was easy,” said Reynard. “We have great facilities at the Salvation Army, so there was plenty of space for volunteers to decorate the cookies and get them packed up.”
Tim Hortons Estevan owners Mandy and Ryan Irwin said the holiday edition of the Smile Cookie campaign is now in its third year.
“It’s great. There’s a lot of support from the community, and we’re super appreciative of that,” said Mandy Irwin. “With this split between the Salvation Army and Tim’s Camps, it’s a little bit different, but we like to give back to somebody with a holiday focus.”
Reynard noted the campaign offered a fresh and enjoyable way to support the community.
“It’s something different from our regular kettle campaign and mailers. Everyone loves those cookies, so it’s a win-win for the Salvation Army, Tim’s Camps, and the community itself,” she said.
Tim’s Camps, a core initiative for Tim Hortons, is equally important to the Irwin's.
“It’s a big initiative for our company, obviously something that we hold near and dear to our heart. We are always looking for campers who are local to Estevan, so if anybody wants to nominate somebody, I would love their application. We try to get somebody local so that we can send kids to camp from Estevan area and we really have that tight community focus,” said Mandy Irwin.
Applications for the spring Smile Cookie campaign will open in February, with the Irwin's encouraging groups that are looking for fundraising opportunities to apply.