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Ottawa Citizen

Community Builders: Sweet support for The Snowsuit Fund

Cookie lovers, get ready to grin from ear to ear: Tim Hortons' Smile Cookie Week is back from April 28 to May 4, and every chocolate chunk treat supports a cosy cause, keeping local kids warm through The Snowsuit Fund. Article content This weeklong sugar rush has become a heartwarming tradition in Ottawa, with all proceeds from the cookies going to purchase brand-new snowsuits for children in need. 'Every cookie that is sold, that money goes straight to The Snowsuit Fund,' said Patricia Ferguson, deputy chief of the Ottawa Police Service and a Snowsuit Fund board member. 'Tim Hortons doesn't take any of it, so 25 cookies buy a snowsuit for a child.' Article content Article content With spring finally showing its face in Ottawa — buds on the trees, songbirds in the air and snowsuits being packed away for the season — it might seem odd to think about winter. But for thousands of local kids, the next cold snap is always just a few months away. That's why early support from Smile Cookie Week is so vital. The Snowsuit Fund works year-round to make sure warm winter wear is ready when Mother Nature inevitably sends winter back our way. Article content Last year, Ottawa's cookie campaign raised enough to bundle up over 6,600 children — and the need keeps growing. 'There are so many families and new Canadians now. They didn't know they needed snowsuits and they don't have the means, so The Snowsuit Fund fills that gap,' said Ferguson. A growing number of Ottawa families rely on The Snowsuit Fund, which distributed over 19,000 snowsuits to 8,000 families last year, up from the usual 17,000. Article content Whether you buy one or 100, every cookie brings a smile. Stop by any local Tim Hortons this week to grab a sweet treat and help a child play in the snow with a big smile next winter. Article content Article content Article content