In only one week, the Tim Hortons smile cookie campaign raised more than $8,000 for Four Tides Hospice Society. According to hospice board member Jodie Young, her school-age son Mason calculated that to be a lot of cookies.
"Mason wanted to know how many cookies that was per day, and we found out that it's a cookie every two minutes for a week straight," said Young.
Vice-chair Kim Barton-Bridges said they saw an increase of over 50 per cent from last year’s result.
The hospice team said the Tim Hortons crew was very accommodating and supportive to all the smile cookie volunteers who used tables inside the restaurant to decorate the cookies to be sold.
"It was awesome, it was a lot of fun," said Young. "We had a really nice response from the volunteers and decorating support."
Hospice board member Sophie Call said they felt broad support from the community.
"Even in this time when things are unsure, and everyone's feeling a pinch, people came out to support us," said Call.
The hospice society has been fundraising for years in order to secure land and build a hospice house for those at the end of life. Young said qathet General Hospital currently provides services for those circumstances, and has great services, but a separate building, outside of a hospital setting, would be ideal.
Barton-Bridges said the society is hopeful, with all the puzzle pieces coming together in order to obtain land or refurbish an existing building.
"A hospice house would offer a more peaceful environment for the dying and their loved ones," said Barton-Bridges.
Four Tides stated on its website that by 2031, "we want everyone in Powell River, qathet Regional District and Tla’amin Nation to have the choice of hospice care at end of life, at home or in a community-based hospice bed.”
Now, after a successful cookie fundraiser, Four Tides board members are busy organizing their next event.
Bridges said the annual Hike for Hospice will take place from May 24 to 31, with an in-person kick-off on Saturday, May 24, from 10 to 1 pm at Willingdon Beach.
"This is one of our major fundraisers to support program delivery in the community," the team emphasized. "Please consider joining as an individual participant or as part of a team; we will do a pre-hike warm up, a hike together along the Willingdon Beach Trail, and have post-hike face-painting, music, barbecue and refreshments, and some amazing locally crafted trophies."
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