Smile cookie a sweet deal

By Lethbridge Herald on November 18, 2025.

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Lethbridge Herald

The Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie campaign is taking place this week and the Interfaith Food Bank will be receiving half the proceeds while the other half goes to the Tim Hortons Foundation Camps. 

From Monday to Sunday, all locations within the city will be selling white chocolate sugar cookies with red and green sprinkles baked into it decorated with a smile, to collect funds that will be donated to the Interfaith Food Bank and the Tim Hortons Foundation camps. 

Danielle McIntyre, executive director of the Interfaith Food Bank said Monday that she is super excited to be the local charity benefiting from the campaign. 

“The campaign runs from the 17 through to the 23 and all the local restaurants will have the cookies on sale. We’re really excited for people to come out in the community because the proceeds are going to help us make sure that everyone has a very Merry Christmas this year,” said McIntyre. 

She said this is their first year participating with the Holiday Smile Cookie Campaign and they are very grateful to be selected as the charity of choice this year. 

“Our local Tim Hortons are all locally owned franchises that are deciding where your dollars go.”

She said she hopes as many people as possible purchases cookies, as the more cookies that are purchased, the more proceeds the interfaith food bank can receive. 

“We’re seeing one in four Canadians right now struggling with food insecurity, and locally here for Christmas alone we’re planning to help over 1,000 households.

Proceeds received from the campaign will go towards food purchases, not only for Christmas hampers but for everything they need for those they are helping. 

Dave Lawlor, owner, and operator of Tim Hortons Lethbridge city centre, said the four owners of all locations across the city came together to decide which local charity to select. 

“There is a process from for the local charities to approach us and make proposals for the program, and Danielle invited us owners, to take a tour of the facility,” said Lawlor. 

He said they were impressed by the amount of work that goes into helping families in need behind the scenes. 

“It’s a great program. It’s a charity that has a lot of volunteers, with more than 250 and with the demands of decorating the cookies, it is good to be able to work with their volunteers.”

He said the volunteers go into the various restaurants and decorate the cookies, which helps them relief the pressure on their employees as they need to decorate hundreds of cookies every day. 

“It’s a great opportunity to work together with their volunteers. They get to come in and have a little bit of fun, take the pressure off us, and it also drives more awareness.”

Having Mayor Blaine Hyggen and other “local celebrities” stop by the various restaurants also helps them out with exposure that could translate into higher sales, said Lawler. 

“That’s the end goal, maximize that donation. Last year we sold $36,000 worth of cookies over the one week, just in Lethbridge.”

He said this year, their goal is to make at least $40,000 to be able to help both the Interfaith Food Bank and the Tim Hortons Foundation. 

“Not everyone wants to buy a cookie when they come in, but we also take donations,” said Lawler.