INNISFAIL – Susan Roy was ready to roll with the dough at the Main Street Tim Hortons in Innisfail.
In fact, she was dressed for the part as a cookie mascot and was joined by several others, including Birch from the Innisfail Public Library who was out in front encouraging passing motorists to buy a special cookie.
It was all for Tim Hortons’ spring Smile Cookie for a Bed Campaign from April 28 to May 4.
Since 1996, Tim Hortons across Canada and in the United States has raised more than $130 million for charities and community groups that are selected every year by Tim Hortons restaurant owners.
And the Innisfail outlet continues to play its part.
Last fall Roy told Quinn Jacobs, owner of the local Tim Hortons, that the Innisfail Health Centre Fundraising Committee was being formed.
As it turned out Roy, the new committee’s secretary, was told by Jacobs he was looking for a charity to sponsor for this year’s spring Smile Cookie campaign.
“The timing was just perfect because he had been looking around online to see if there was something related to the hospital, and I happened to send him an email right around that same time,” said Roy.
“We're very fortunate to be the chosen charity this year with all of the proceeds, $2 for every single cookie, going to our Smile Cookie for a Bed Campaign.”
The fundraising committee was launched in town last November with a $475,000 campaign to purchase 28 acute care beds for the Innisfail Health Centre.
And it got off to a great start with its fundraising.
The committee was able to raise about $100,000 by early spring to purchase the first six smart beds, a sophisticated piece of medical technology designed for both patients and caregivers.
“The community has been amazing. The Sparks family donated a side of beef, which we raised almost $13,000 in March with that, and we did a 50/50 draw around Christmas that did well,” said Roy. “The community embraced this committee and the work that we're trying to do for the hospital.”
The committee, in partnership with Tim Hortons, is now aiming for a seventh smart bed.
“Maybe this week we'll get to buy one more if we can raise $17,000 this week,” said Roy. “If we only raise 15,000 or 14,000 it'll go towards that next bed.”
The campaign got off to a great start.
On opening day on April 28 Tim Hortons sold 1,301 cookies, which is just over 500 above last year’s first day total of the spring Smile Cookie campaign.
At $2 a cookie, the first day total was $2,602. When the week of fundraising ended the total was $17,146.
Mission accomplished.
"We did. So exciting," Roy told the Albertan.
Roy received plenty of volunteer help to achieve their goal.
“We've got members of the committee, we've got hospital staff, we've got Pharmasave Jackson's staff, and we've got other community volunteers all week,” said Roy. “We're filling up three shifts a day of cookie decorating, and then we're trying to get at least one shift a day of the mascots.”
In the meantime, staff at the Tim Hortons outlet are excited with this year’s campaign and especially impressed with how well the fundraising committee has prepared.
Sheri Meyer, general manager of Innisfail’s Tim Hortons, noted her outlet has in past years sponsored many worthy local organizations, such as victim services, École John Wilson Elementary School, Innisfail and District Food Bank and McMan Central.
She said working with the hospital fundraising committee has been especially satisfying.
“I've been very fortunate with the committees we've picked over the years,” said Meyer, whose outlet also hosts a fall Smile Cookie campaign. “This (hospital fundraising committee) has been one of the most exciting ones that I've been involved with when it comes to having mascots, putting up banners and getting our pre-orders.
“It is the most pre-orders I've had in a long, long time.”
