SMILE COOKIES RAISE RECORD-BREAKING AMOUNT FOR KIDS

OVER $116K RAISED FOR STOLLERY FAMILY CENTRE AT MARKHAM STOUFFVILLE HOSPITAL

This year's Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Week was a resounding success.

Markham and Stouffville Tim Hortons restaurant owners unveiled on May 30 the amount raised through this year's Smile Cookie campaign. A total of $116,151.09 was raised for The Stollery Family Centre for Childbirth & Children at Oak Valley Health's Markham Stouffville Hospital (MSH), the most raised from the campaign to date.

From May 1 to 7, when customers across Canada purchased a Smile Cookie ($1.50 plus tax) and personality pins, 100 per cent of the proceeds benefited their local charities. Markham and Stouffville Tim Hortons restaurants and customers worked together to raise funds to support MSH.

The Stollery Family Centre provides quality, patient-centred care for pregnant people, infants, and children up to age 18 and welcomes thousands of babies each year.

The centre includes: • Canada's first Alongside Midwifery Unit (AMU), which opened in 2018. The AMU is a centre of excellence for women who want a midwife-led birthing experience in a relaxed, comfortable, and friendly environment in a hospital setting.

• The Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic brings expertise closer to home for women experiencing highrisk pregnancy with dedicated equipment and specialists.

• The Postpartum Village, an online "village" of services for new parents and their baby, staffed by caregivers specializing in postpartum care including breastfeeding, newborn care, and mental health.

As a leading community hospital, MSH serves one of Canada's fastest growing regions and must ensure it continues to not only meet the increasing demand, but deliver the highest quality care while doing so, officials said. Government funding can't cover the cost of all critical life-saving equipment and top priority needs. Generous donor support is essential to the exceptional care that MSH patients can receive close to home.

"We are grateful and proud to have community partners like our Tim Hortons Markham and Stouffville

restaurant owners," said Suzette Strong, CEO of MSH Foundation. "Tim Hortons is passionate about making a difference in the lives of children in our community and their tremendous support from this year's Smile Cookie campaign will ensure we are able to meet the needs of our rapidly growing, aging, and diverse community."