Tim Hortons' first ever Holiday Smile Cookie campaign is underway at restaurants across Canada.
This week, if you buy a white chocolate chip sugar cookie, infused with red and green sprinkles, you'll be supporting some great local causes.
In Sarnia, half of the money raised will be put toward the Victorian Order of Nurses' (VON) student nutrition program to help children in need. The other half will go toward sending kids to camp through the Tim Hortons Foundation.
The student nutrition program supports 46 local schools with nutritious snacks for those who might not otherwise have access to them.
VON Community Development Coordinator Leslie Palimaka said they're thrilled to have been chosen.
"We've definitely noticed since COVID that there has been a rise in food costs and a rise in food insecurity at our schools," said Palimaka. "This news is welcome because it helps provide those additional healthy snacks and meals that perhaps children aren't able to get outside of the school environment. In other communities in the southwest, the Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign has been very generous in supporting student nutrition programs. We're very happy and pleased to say in Lambton this is the first year that we're receiving the smile cookie campaign funding. We couldn't be happier."
Money collected at the London Line location supports Food Banks Canada.
The Forest Tim Hortons will assist the Contact House Food Bank, and Wyoming's benefits Wyoming Fire Department.
Lambton County Developmental Services gets the money raised in Petrolia, while funds brought in in Corunna will go toward the food bank at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church.
Over the past 25 years, the traditional Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign has generated over $111 million for causes across the country.