Tim Hortons locations across Brandon, Manitoba, are preparing to host their annual Smile Cookie Week from April 27 to May 3, 2026, with two dollars from every cookie sold going to support local non-profit organizations. This yearly campaign aims to provide financial help to groups such as the Brandon Area Community Foundation and Helping Hands Centre of Brandon as the city addresses a significant rise in local food insecurity.
The campaign is managed by Tim Hortons Westman, a business group owned by the families of Rhonda Pardy and Greg Crisanti. This group oversees all Tim Hortons locations in Brandon, as well as those in Neepawa, Virden, Dauphin, and Moosomin, Saskatchewan. Residents looking to support the initiative can place pre-orders through the Tim Hortons Westman website.
The funds come at a time when local organizations are seeing a sharp increase in demand for services. According to data regarding local food assistance, the Helping Hands Centre of Brandon soup kitchen was on track to serve over 50,000 meals in 2025, a rise from the 46,284 meals served in 2024 and 41,033 in 2023. Additionally, Samaritan House Ministries, the city’s largest food bank, provided 14,013 hampers between January and September 2025, which was an increase of about 600 compared to the same timeframe the previous year.
The Brandon Area Community Foundation, which has been operating since 1965 and is part of the Community Foundations of Canada, works to distribute grants to charitable groups across the southwestern region of the province. In previous years, the campaign has successfully supported these organizations by donating all proceeds from cookie sales, sometimes boosted by matching contributions from corporate sponsors.
The Westman region has historically been a strong contributor to this national event. During the 2024 campaign, four locations within the Westman network finished in the top 10 for sales across Canada, with the Dauphin restaurant leading the country with over $65,000 in sales.
