Officials at Hospice of Windsor and Essex County have a big reason to smile.
Tim Hortons has presented the group with a cheque for $119,000, money raised from the sale of 'Smile Cookies' at coffee shops across the area.
Local shops sold their pink and blue frosted smile chocolate chip cookies from September 17-23 with 100% of the sales going to a local charity.
Hospice of Windsor and Essex County Executive Director Carol Derbyshire says the wonderful thing about this is that the money wasn't in their budget.
Tim Horton's has presented Hospice of Windsor and Essex County with $119,000, money raised from the sale of 'Smile Cookies' in September. October 26, 2018 (Photo by Teresinha Medeiros)
Derbyshire says some of the money will be used for their children's programs which supports kids dealing with a family member in hospice.
"Our children's programs, they're not funded and Tim Horton's often helps with those programs," she says. "These are children with parents, grandparents or siblings who are sick."
Some of the money will also support upgrades underway at hospice.
"As you know, we're renovating over in our residential home," says Derbyshire, "We're adding two beds and family rooms and all of that. So we need help to get new furniture and things like that."
Last year, just over $102,000 was raised from the sale of 'Smile Cookies' which was shared by Maryvale and the John McGivney Children's Centre.