TORONTO, Canada – Tim Hortons and its restaurant owners across Canada are proud to announce that over $1 million was raised for Indigenous organizations through the third annual Orange Sprinkle Donut fundraising campaign. Over the past three years, Tim Hortons and its guests have raised over $3.6 million for the Orange Shirt Society, the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, and New Pathways Foundation in Quebec.
These 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 Tims 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 are supported both financially and in alignment with our mission, and we couldn’t be more thankful.”
“Every dollar raised through the Orange Sprinkle Donut campaign is a testament to the power of community and collaboration. Donations play a crucial role in supporting services that often receive limited funding, such as Resolution Health Support Workers, Cultural Support Providers and Elders Services and the Trauma Informed Cultural Support program,” says Angela White, Executive Director of the Indian Residential School Survivors Society.
“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.”
“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.
“This generous donation will enable the Orange Shirt Society to educate more Canadians on the truth of Residential school survivors and the vital message that Every Child Matters through new and ongoing programs such as the Orange Jersey Project, the Orange Shirt Society Truth Telling Series and the Orange Legacy Fund. Tim Hortons is a true friend and partner in our work to advance reconciliation every day, in many ways.”
Orange Shirt Day has been observed on Sept. 30 since 2013, when Phyllis Webstad told her story of her first day of residential school. Her organization, the Orange Shirt Society, and the Every Child Matters movement she created, continue to raise awareness about Canada’s history of residential schools, along with honouring the survivors and their families and the children who never returned home. In 2021, the federal government also designated Sept. 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
“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 Donut 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.”
