Red Deer children were able to step inside of a firetruck and police vehicle at the Timberlands Tim Hortons, as the Smile Cookie campaign winds down.
Red Deer Tim Hortons locations have been selling special smiling cookies since Sept. 19 to raise money for Reading College, which is a project of the Foundation for Red Deer Public Schools. Cookie sales are scheduled to wrap up this upcoming Monday.
On Saturday, Red Deer Emergency Services were at the Timberlands location’s parking lot, where firefighters and police officers interacted with dozens of kids.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to be partnered with the Foundation for Red Deer Public Schools,” Tanya Doucette, who owns the Timberlands Tim Hortons with her husband John-Paul.
“It’s so amazing to have the emergency services workers out here too. It’s such an awesome opportunity for them to be here and to welcome young people from across Red Deer to come to sit in a firetruck or the RCMP van. We cannot thank them enough for their time and effort in supporting Reading College. What an amazing community we’re a part of.”
The Smile Cookie campaign has been a big success so far, Doucette noted.
“We’ve already sold through so many cookies in this market,” she said.
“Our guests are incredible and our team members our making cookies by the thousands. We can’t thank the people of Red Deer enough for support Reading College and the Smile Cookie campaign.”
Tim Hortons’ Smile Cookie campaign has been supporting Reading College for a number of years.
Bruce Buruma, Foundation of Red Deer Public Schools executive director, said Reading College has had 640 graduates throughout its history.
“Reading College is an amazing program,” said Buruma, who also serves as a Red Deer city councillor.
“For 20 days in July, when kids are on holidays, we bring students down to Red Deer Polytechnic and give them some great skills in terms of reading and writing.”
Reading College serves students who just graduated Grade 2.
“The owners of Tim Hortons do so much to make (the Smile Cookie campaign) a big event for everyone,” Buruma said, adding RDES coming to the Timberlands location for a day helped elevate the campaign this year.
“We appreciate all of our partners who are making it happen.”
sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com
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