'I am in absolute awe of how incredibly generous this town is': Dunnville tops national Smile Cookie sale

For the sixth year in a row, the Dunnville Tim Hortons has defended its Smile Cookie crown once again.

The store raised a total of $77,577 for the Dunnville Hospital and Healthcare Foundation to support Haldimand War Memorial Hospital.

Speaking on behalf of the board of directors and staff of the foundation, executive director Penny Banks said, I would like to express our utmost appreciation to the entire community of Dunnville and the surrounding areas for their unwavering support during this year's Smile Cookie campaign. I am in absolute awe of how incredibly generous this town is."

The Dunnville store sold almost 52,000 Smile Cookies (this year, the price of the cookies increased, but all of the money still went to the charities chosen by the individual sites).

Ryan DiTommaso, franchisee and general manager of the Dunnville Tim Hortons, said they've chosen to give to the hospital foundation each year because the town of Dunnville loves their hospital."

He noted that over the years, the store has donated more than $275,000 to the foundation.

Of course, this success doesn't just happen; it takes a lot of outside help, DiTommaso noted. This includes volunteers coming in to decorate cookies, as well as many people making a point of buying - sometimes multiple cookies, and on several days.

Whatever role they took on, DiTommaso said, I would like to thank the entire community for their support. Year after year, the volunteers and local businesses go above and beyond to keep Dunnville the Smile Cookie Capital of Canada."