By Matthew Liebenberg
mliebenberg@prairiepost.com
Every Holiday Smile Cookie sold at the three Tim Hortons locations in Swift Current from Nov. 17-23 will benefit the youth programs and services provided by The Center in the community.
These white-chocolate sugar cookies have red and green sprinkles baked into it and are hand-decorated with a white smile to spread festive cheer and to raise funds for local charities during the annual Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie campaign across Canada.
The Swift Current Community Youth Initiative (SCCYI) – The Center has been selected as the local beneficiary of cookie sales during this week’s campaign.
Dade Getzinger, one of the Tim Hortons franchise owners in Swift Current, said they are pleased to support The Center through the Holiday Smile Cookie campaign.
“It’s awesome, because we all live in this community and there are needs in every community,” he said. “This is one that we chose, because we wanted to be involved with The Center. It helps youth that are struggling and needs assistance and it’s a safe place for them.”
The Holiday Smile Cookie campaign makes is easy to support The Center by purchasing cookies at one of the Tim Hortons locations in Swift Current.
“The great thing about it is everybody in the community here is aware of The Center and what it’s all about,” he said. “They know that the Smile Cookie program is community focused and we get to be behind that with them. So it’s a partnership that we’re excited to be involved with.”
SCCYI Executive Director Nathan Wiebe appreciates the opportunity offered to The Center to benefit from the Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie campaign.
“We’re honoured,” he said. “You see these campaigns pop up every year and it’s a really huge community event. So we’re just really grateful to be a part of it.”
The Center staff members were helping to decorate cookies at Tim Hortons on Monday morning, Nov. 17.
“It’s a great way to start the week for our team,” he said. “It’s fun to have some camaraderie and just do something a little bit different.”
The funds raised for The Center through the sale of cookies at the Tim Hortons stores in Swift Current from Nov. 17-23 will be used for programming and mental health support services.
“We’re seeing an uptake in clientele within our counselling and with that too, we need to support our staff,” he said. “So this is going to go directly into supporting our free counselling and it’s going to go directly as well into our programming department to create more holistic environments for kids to come and hang out and to be mentored, and to just to get away from different things that are going on in life.”
He noted that The Center is a place for all youth to spend time and have fun. It is therefore important to offer different events and activities throughout the year.
“We want to make these quality events for kids that are coming there and in order to do that, we have to do some fundraising and we have to do some sponsorship,” he said. “This is going to help us a lot and just creating those quality experiences for kids.”
