September 4, 2020 · 0 Comments
The first ever Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Campaign fundraiser is coming to Beeton this year, from September 14 to 21.
The coffee shop opened on 18 Patterson Street in the Jackson Plaza during May of this year, allowing the annual fundraiser to now take place in the community.
This year the Fund for a new Community Centre in Beeton (FAB) was selected as the 2020 Smile Cookie Charity Partner and 100 per cent of all proceeds will go towards the organization.
“I think this is going to be great for promoting our cause through the Smile Cookie program,” said Ray Lisk of FAB.
“We’re very happy to be able to talk to… work towards getting this done as soon as possible.”
FAB has raised nearly $300,000 of its $500,000 goal, for the fundraiser portion of the project.
The current Community Centre in Beeton is 73 years old and is in dire need of replacement, Lisk told the Times.
New Tecumseth Council has already approved FAB’s building design for its multipurpose Community Centre and is awaiting considerable funding from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP).
Lisk said FAB has been working on this project for nearly 15 years and they’re eager to nail down a construction date in the not too distant future.
“I think it will be a great asset for the downtown to sort of give it a boost and to meet all the needs of the around 6,000 people in Beeton and the surrounding area probably serving 10,000,” he noted.
“One of the good things about it too is it’s going to be built right in the middle of the community.”
The plan for the new Community Centre includes a multipurpose floor and ice pad for sports such as curling, hockey, figure skating and ball hockey.
The proposed facility also features changing rooms, heated seating area, a community hall with a kitchen, meeting rooms, a fitness and wellness centre, walking track and concession.
There will also be space for youth activities, community events, dances, banquets, arts, culture, and mobility rehabilitation.
The outside area of the proposed Community Centre will include hard, multi-use recreation surfaces, a rest area with green space, and access to New Tecumseth’s trail network and Town square. The location is also in close proximity to local parks, restaurants, the library and downtown Beeton. Lisk said he’s excited to see how much money can be raised through the Smile Cookie Campaign and encourages residents of Beeton and the surrounding area to stop by Tim Hortons between September 14 and 21 to support FAB.
By Sam Odrowski
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter