Jason Armstrong, Barry’s Bay Tim Hortons franchisee, (above) was all smiles on Monday at the launch of Smile Cookie Week. Representatives of local healthcare partners including St. Francis Memorial Hospital, Valley Manor Long Term Care, Madawaska Valley Hospice, and the St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation, met with Armstrong and store manager Chantal Kedroskie outside Tim Hortons in Barry’s Bay to show support for the annual fund-raising initiative. Smile cookies cost $1 each and proceeds go to support local healthcare.
Erin Gienow, Executive Director of St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation, and Armstrong told The Current that this year’s goal is to sell 5,000 cookies. Armstrong said, “A lot of people don’t understand our store is in the same running with the big stores in the cities.” He explained that the Barry’s Bay store last year was about sixth or eighth for selling cookies out of 80 stores – a phenomenal achievement in a small community. He said that in the past many school classrooms have been given boxes of cookies, but that option for volume sales is not available in these COVID-19 times. Armstrong pointed out that “This year is probably the best year to donate to something like this.” Gienow agreed, saying that the SFVH Foundation has received excellent support so far during the pandemic and ended, “We’re hopeful.”
Above: local healthcare partners smile with their cookies
