Smile cookies help Sudbury charities

Charity Smile Cookies are back Smile cookie sales help organizations across the country. Organizers say the funds raised help 900 neighbourhoods in 600 communities.

The Tim Hortons week-long Smile Cookie campaign has kicked off and runs until May 7.

"Our charities are very near and dear to our heart," said Marian MacKenzie, a Tim Hortons franchisee.

“It's a wonderful campaign. The guests get behind it. Our team members get behind it.”

In Sudbury last year, the Smile Cookie Campaign raised more than $175,000. This year it will support three local charities.

"Last year almost one-third of the money that came in came from Tim Hortons smiling cookies," said Sam Khoury, chair of the CTV Lions Children's Christmas Telethon.

“Thank you Tim Hortons thank you to all the restaurants here in Sudbury for helping us and the helping the telethon.”

Tim Hortons donates 100 per cent of proceeds from the Smile Cookie campaign to local charities.

"We pick up food values at higher levels than one dollar," said Dan Xilon, executive director of the Sudbury Food Bank.

“Approximately $6 in food value for every dollar that we collect. So just think about what that smile cookie does to help the people who are hungry in our region.”

The Health Sciences North Foundation is the third charity the cookies will support.

"The smile cookie supports HSN to help us purchase vital medical equipment that is otherwise not supported by the province," said Anthony Keating, the president of the HSN Foundation.

“The significance of this is really to help all the patients that come throughout northeastern Ontario. We serve a population of about 600,000 people.”

As part of the campaign, the HSN Foundation is offering smile-a-grams. Employees deliver cookies to other employees in the hospital to help build morale and show appreciation.