ESTEVAN — Smile Cookie Week from Tim Hortons is running from April 29 to May 5; and the Estevan Early Years Family Resource Centre (EEYFRC) is the chosen recipient of the sales of Smile Cookies.
All 100 per cent of the proceeds from every Smile Cookie purchased in Estevan that week will stay local and benefit the EEYFRC.
Misty Pennington, director of programs and community engagement at the EEYFRC was thrilled that they were the chosen local charity to benefit from this year’s campaign.
“All funds raised will continue to keep all of our programs free, expand the ages six to 11 programming and support our future outdoor play space,” Pennington said.
On top of receiving the Smile Cookie proceeds, Pennington went above and beyond in ensuring that the community is as involved in the project. She found seven local companies to match each day’s sales.
“I want to break the local record for funds raised, and one way was to find a company for each day to match the sales. A huge thank you to Mid City Plumbing and Heating, Captive Rentals Ltd., L&C Trucking LP, Highline Rentals, Handy Andy’s Mechanical, McComb Automotive and Top Torque Services for helping us with this campaign,” Pennington said.
Mandy Irwin, restaurant owner of both Tim Hortons in Estevan is gearing up for a very busy couple of weeks for her staff.
“We are really excited for Smile Cookie 2024. Every year this fun campaign allows us to give back to our community in a big way, but this year, with the collaboration of an incredible charity, it is surely going to blow other years out of the water. This community is something special and we are grateful to be a part of it,” Irwin said.
During the week, customers can purchase Smile Cookies at both Tim Hortons locations in Estevan to support the EEYFRC. Local companies are encouraged to do a pre-order of Smile Cookies. They can ask for a form from Tim Hortons or the EEYFRC through emailing them at estevanfamilycentre@sasktel.net or giving them a call at 306-634-7233.
Companies need to submit the form to their nearest Tim Hortons, 48 hours ahead of their pick-up time and day.
The EEYFRC has created fun activities during the campaign week for people to win prizes.
The first being a colouring contest created by local talent Hometown Connection Art. The colouring pages can be picked up from either Tim Horton locations or the EEYFRC. The completed colouring sheets can be dropped off at either Tim Horton locations from April 29-May 5. The winner will be selected May 6 by random draw, winning a Summer Fun package valued at $100.
Secondly, the EEYFRC will be running a social media contest. Show off those smiles with Smile Cookies on your socials, tagging @timhortonsestevan and @estevanfamilycentre to be entered to win a $50 Tim Hortons gift card.
Another initiative that happened was sponsoring classrooms to receive Smile Cookies. Pennington initially wanted to sponsor one school, but with the generosity of Estevan, all schools in Estevan have been sponsored, along with schools in surrounding communities.
“I couldn’t believe how quickly this idea took off. Thank you to everyone who has reached out, we’re going to have a lot of happy children in Estevan,” Pennington said.
Classroom cookies will be delivered the week of May 6.
The EEYFRC receives core funding specifically for ages zero to five years and this funding is year over year. Right now, the EEYFRC is working towards two exciting goals: programming for ages six-11, and an outdoor play space.
The EEYFRC was founded in 2002 by the Estevan Council for Prevention of Child Abuse, along with community members. The EEYFRC’s mission is creating a warm, safe community for families which will support children and caregivers through play-based early learning, family wellness and support, caregiver education, and information.
For 20 years, the EEYFRC was funded through grants, corporate and community donations, such as Estevan United Way, and fundraisers. In 2021, the EEYFRC partnered with Southeast Cornerstone School Division. This established core funding for programming and resources for ages zero to five.
