Christmas Day usually means earlier than normal wake up calls with the kids bouncing on you followed by a busy and long day filled with excitement. Many would agree that coffee is one of the best cures for the inevitable exhaustion that is bound to hit by mid-morning.
But this year it was easier for Chestermere residents to get their coffee fix while racing to the next dinner or to enjoy some hot chocolate on their way back from skating on the lake.
Chestermere Tim Horton’s typically closes on Christmas Eve, reopening on Boxing Day however this year, with the employees support, our popular local coffee shop stayed open right through the entire holiday.
Receiving special permission from the Tim Horton’s head office, Andrew Marriott; the owner of Chestermere Tim Horton’s created a unique Christmas with Dignity donut that was sold only during the holiday with 100% of proceeds going toward Chestermere’s Christmas with Dignity campaign. The festive sprinkle donut was a hit with Marriott’s customers, who streamed into the store steadily throughout the day.
In addition to the donut, the restaurant also collected donations through the coin boxes at the tills. These donations typically go toward Tim Horton’s Kids Camps but again, Marriott used those boxes to support the local charity on Christmas Day. On top of that, Marriott matched all donations collected including those from the donut sales.
“We raised about $400 in donations from our guests and sold over 100 donuts that we will match in dollars and to make the number appear even more round, Tim Horton’s will donate $1000.00 to Christmas With Dignity this year”, shares Marriott.
For the franchise owner the best surprise was how busy his restaurant was, “We realized how much the residents of Chestermere needed a coffee, a place to hang out and another place to call home over the holidays, it didn’t hurt that the weather helped push many residents to the lakeside.”
Marriott states that as it goes right now, his team believes that with the support of the staff who want the opportunity to earn extra pay (holiday & plus), opening on Christmas Day will become a yearly event. “We are so happy we can support Chestermere Community Services that serves a fantastic charity like Christmas a With Dignity.”
The Christmas with Dignity program is an annual campaign that raises money for local families in need.
