Amy Stevenson: Fund Development & Communications Coordinator
DURHAM: This year across Durham Region, local Tim Hortons restaurant owners and guests helped raise over $224,000 to support the three residential hospices coming to the region. The funds will be split among the three charities and will be used to build and/or furnish the hospices. “The Hospices are truly grateful to our wonderful communities for showing their support and gobbling up so many cookies! It means the world to us to have so many generous people standing behind our projects” said Steve Russell, Board Chair of Oak Ridges Hospice. “We are delighted with the results of the Smile Cookie campaign”, stated Melodie Zarzeczny, Chair of the hospice building project for Clarington. “We owe a huge thanks to the Tim Hortons owners and staff in our communities who worked so hard to make this happen.” Chris Raynor, Chair of the Whitby Hospice added, “These hospices are for all of us, and we are so grateful for the big role Tim Hortons is playing as a community partner.” “We were absolutely blown away by the generosity of Canadians for our annual Smile Cookie campaign,” shared, Tim Hortons Chief Marketing Officer, Hope Bagozzi. Tim Hortons restaurant owners across Canada will be presenting their local charity partners with Smile Cookie cheques throughout the next month. Oak Ridges Hospice and Durham Region Hospice are community-based charitable organizations committed to providing – free of charge – a tranquil, home-like setting where a dedicated team of specially trained medical, nursing, support staff and volunteers provide compassionate care and comfort to our residents and their loved ones at the end-of-life. They will form a network of future hospices in Durham Region that will be located in Port Perry (Oak Ridges Hospice) and Whitby and Clarington (Durham Region Hospice).