TORONTO — Tim Hortons and its restaurant owners across Canada have raised more than $1 million for Indigenous organizations through the third annual Orange Sprinkle Doughnut fundraising campaign.
Over the past three years, Tim Hortons and its guests have raised more than $3.6 million for the Orange Shirt Society, the Indian Residential School Survivors Society and New Pathways Foundation in Quebec. The funds have helped provide support for the organizations to do their important work in developing crucial supports, programming and educational opportunities in Indigenous communities across Canada.
The idea for the Orange Sprinkle Donut campaign originated in 2021 after the discovery of unmarked graves on the grounds of the former residential school in Kamloops, B.C. Indigenous Tim Hortons restaurant owners Shane Gottfriedson and Joe Quewezance operate a restaurant located a short distance from the site of the former residential school, which became an impromptu gathering place for people who visited the site to pay their respects. Gottfriedson, Quewezance and a number of other Indigenous Tim Hortons restaurant owners were part of a working group that came up with the concept for the Orange Sprinkle Donut fundraising campaign.
“Tim Hortons support goes beyond a financial contribution. It allows us to envision a positive future for current and future Indigenous youth generations,” says Marie-Claude Cleary, general manager of New Pathways Foundation. “This support has enabled us to amplify the voices of youth and observe the willingness in Quebec to support those voices. We’re supported both financially and in alignment with our mission, and we couldn’t be more thankful.”
“By contributing to the campaign, you enable us to expand our reach and fulfill more requests, making a tangible difference in the lives of those we serve. Your generosity directly translates into more opportunities for healing, empowerment, and justice within our community,” says Shannon Henderson, president of the Orange Shirt Society. “The Orange Shirt Society is deeply grateful to Tim Hortons for their meaningful support and commitment to supporting truth-and-reconciliation efforts across Canada,” says Shannon Henderson, president of the Orange Shirt Society.
“We’re proud to support the Orange Shirt Society, the Indian Residential School Survivors Society and the New Pathways Foundation in Quebec for a third year in a row,” says Hope Bagozzi, Chief Marketing Officer at Tim Hortons. “Our annual Orange Sprinkle Doughnut campaign not only helps to provide our partners with access to resources but also to raise awareness and understand the importance of Indigenous history in Canada.”