The Smile Cookie campaign runs April 28 - May 4. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW)

By paNOW Staff

Cookies for a cause

Children’s Haven to benefit from Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign

Apr 28, 2025 | 1:19 PM

The Children’s Haven Child Crisis Centre in Prince Albert has the capacity to take 17 children in emergency need and each night nearly every bed is full.

“If we have space available, we can help,” said program director Amanda Robertson.

The organization is this year’s beneficiary of the Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign. They will receive 100 per cent of the proceeds from the cookie sales between April 28 to May 4.

Since 1996, the annual Smile Cookie promotion has raised a total of more than $130 million for charities and community groups across Canada that are selected by Tim Hortons restaurant owners. Recipients include local hospitals, community care organizations, food banks and schools.

Last year, more than 5,000 families and children sought refuge at Children’s Haven for various reasons.

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“That could look like parents being in the hospital with health problems, but don’t have a safe place for their children to go while they’re in hospital. We also help city police, if there’s any lost children, we can take care of them temporarily… or there are domestic violence situations where families might come up and need temporary child care quickly,” Robertson explained.

In addition to the emergency care, free classes are also available for parents covering
the topics of parenting, budgeting, nutrition, and more. The centre relies on provincial and federal government funding for wages, but they fundraise and rely on donations to keep their doors open. Robertson said being selected as the recipient of this year’s Smile Cookie campaign ‘is huge.’

“We like to keep the kids’ life like their day-to-day life as normal as possible when the parents aren’t there. So, we take them to school or to daycare, or if they have appointments they are supposed to attend. That means we need reliable transportation, and we need a new van as ours is over 12 years old and is starting to require a lot of repairs.”

Prince Albert Police Chief Patrick Nogier helped launch the cookie campaign Monday morning at the Tim Horton’s on Second and Marquis. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW)

To help launch the cookie sales, Prince Albert Police Chief Patrick Nogier volunteered his services by adding the smile decorations to the treats.

“We recognize the importance of making sure that we’re not just behind the doors and the walls of the police service. We have to actually be in the community doing things that are for a worthwhile cause and anything that has to do with looking after our youth, providing for our youth are those causes that are worth making investments for,” said Nogier.

Robertson hopes the public will help support Children’s Haven goal of purchasing a new van by indulging in the cookies with a cause, but the centre also accepts monetary donations, food, clothing, toys and other donations like school supplies, toiletries and baby items.

Children’s Haven operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and accepts children up to the age of 12.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com