(rdnewsNOW/ Ian Gustafson)

By Ian Gustafson

40,000 cookies sold

Smile cookie campaign raises over $80,000 for Reading College

Jun 9, 2025 | 2:34 PM

This year’s annual Tim Horton’s smile cookie campaign sold approximately 40,000 cookies and raised $80,773 locally to donate in benefit of the Reading College, a life-changing literacy program for Grade 2 students.

The Reading College is a summer program put on by the Foundation for Red Deer Public Schools that strengthens literacy skills of students.

They made the announcement on Monday morning during a ceremony at Mattie McCullough Elementary School.

Tanya Doucette, one of six Tim Hortons owners in the city, said the support this year was unbelievable.

“It’s quite extraordinary the support we’ve had from the community,” she said. “It’s the largest dollars raised we’ve ever had… When we first started I want to say we were fundraising in the $25,000 to $30,000 ballpark and over the years it has grown,” Doucette said. “I think the citizens of Red Deer have come to support the Reading College and they see the great advantage for the young people in being able to read and the future that will build for them.”

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Doucette gave credit to the Foundation for working hard in spreading the word about Reading College and the Smile Cookie campaign.

This includes a Smile Cookie Day held at the Tim Hortons on Thomlinson Ave., which was a fun, free family event put on by Red Deer Public Schools, in partnership with Red Deer Emergency Services, Red Deer RCMP and Alberta Sheriffs.

Kids in attendance got to climb aboard a fire truck or police car, meet local emergency responders, watch some great science experiments and enjoy a Smile Cookie.

Doucette explained, the campaign was made possible with the help of many volunteers who gave their time to decorate cookies.

“We’ve been in Canadian communities for over 60 years and giving back in the communities where we live and work is critical to us,” Doucette said. “For me, it’s my favourite week of the year in our restaurants. What’s better than raising money that’s going to stay right in your own community supporting worthwhile causes and important groups that need our support.”

The Reading College runs for an entire month in the summer and is free for students to attend. It offers support to students leaving the second grade for the third grade.

Students are bussed to and from the program at Red Deer Polytechnic and provided breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Morning sessions focus on reading, writing, and word work and in the afternoon, the class reads stories, works on sight words, and does fun activities.

Sue Carmichael, Reading College program co-ordinator, said this year, they’ll have nine teachers and 77 students.

“[The money raised] almost pays for one Reading College summer so it’s huge,” she said. “I couldn’t be prouder to be a Red Deerian because Tim Hortons does an amazing job… I’m just so grateful to Red Deerians that actually care about Reading College and that they come and buy all kinds of cookies.”

This year they’ll also pilot a new program that’ll help kids read and write where English is their second language.

“We’re really excited about that. That will be a classroom of eight kids and we’re getting help from some other teachers who also teach English as a second language,” she said. “I think it’ll be terrific to help catch these kids up.”