Cookie campaign to again support Green Shirt Day

By Alexandra Noad - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on November 19, 2024.

Herald photo by Alexandra Noad Toby Boulet, Mayor Blaine Hyggen and Community Foundation's Charlene Davidson decorate smile cookies on Monday morning at the West Highlands Tim Hortons.

To get in the holiday spirit people can get a festive cookie and support a good cause for Tim Horton’s second annual Holiday Smile Cookie campaign,

For the second year, all proceeds from the Lethbridge campaign will go to the Logan Boulet Green Shirt Day campaign.

Last year the Lethbridge campaign raised $43,000 for the cause and Stefa Pynn, owner of all three westside Tim Hortons, says they hope to raise more money than last year.

“Starting today, we feel like we’re ahead. Normally this particular location on Heritage Blvd. West, did about 500 cookies a day. Our goal is about 600 cookies for this one location alone,” said Pynn.

Bernadine Boulet, whose son Logan died in the Humboldt Broncos bus tragedy, says it was an honour to work alongside Tim Horton’s again this year for the Holiday Smile Cookie campaign.

“We’re very honoured Tim Horton’s and people of Lethbridge and the amazing owners, their family and teams have asked us to come back and be a part of the whole event,” said Boulet.

The campaign kicked off Monday morning with cookie decorating by Mayor Blaine Hyggen, Charlene Davidson, executive director of the Community Foundation and Southwestern Alberta, Kacie Bosch and Paige Crozon, both members of the 2024 Paris Olympics 3×3 Canadian Basketball Team.

Crozon says it was an incredible opportunity to help this good cause.

“This is my first time decorating cookies, they didn’t tell me it was going to be a competition, but they said I always should be expecting that. We had a lot of fun just decorating the cookies, enjoying some laughter and making some cookies for a good cause,” said Crozon.

Being a Humboldt native, Green Shirt Day has a special place in Crozon’s heart and she was honoured to be a part of the initiative on Monday.

“Green Shirt Day and April 7th (are) special initiatives and very close to my heart, so (I’m) very excited that we’re raising money in support of Green Shirt Day and I think buying cookies and even the smile on them is a great way to celebrate,” said Crozon.

A quarter of the funds will support the Logan Boulet fund, which supports things such as minor sports, Sage Clan, schools, art programs and many other local organizations.

Another 25 per cent of the funds will go to the Canadian Transplant Association, as well as 25 per cent going to scholarship opportunities for young athletes.

The remaining quarter of the proceeds go the national Green Shirt Day campaign, which funds the t-shirts and stickers and other promotional products to raise awareness about organ donation.

Toby Boulet, Logan’s father, says all the organizations aim to bring awareness about organ donations.

“This (money) stays local as much as we can, a lot of it goes national too. It’s all to build awareness of organ and tissue donation and to have people have that conversation,” said Boulet.

Along with the Smile Cookie Campaign, people can support the Logan Boulet foundation by purchasing the book Everyday Hockey Heroes: Inspiring Stories on and Off the Ice, authored by Bob McKenzie and Jim Lang, available at Chapters and Analog Books.

Boulet says it was an incredible experience to be able to tell their son’s story.

“It’s very exciting and the way it was done with Jim Lang is he wanted us to tell our story and wove that with the Green Shirt Day stuff, so it’s really interesting how he tells it,” said Boulet.

For the Boulets, it’s the stories left behind that really matters.

“Stories are what everyone wants to hear and that’s what you want to leave behind is your story and know that your story made an impact on people,” said Bernadine.

Smile cookies will be available at all Tim Horton’s until Nov. 24.