Smile Cookie Campaign Supports Indigenous Student Wellness at Laurentian

September 17, 2026— Laurentian University celebrated a community achievement as funds raised from the Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign were presented on September 9 at the Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre. 

Thanks to the strong support of students, staff, and faculty, the campus community raised $2,511, marking the first time Laurentian University has been selected as one of the charitable recipients of the national campaign. 

The campaign's success was driven by a new initiative led by Chartwells (Compass Group Canada) to redirect corporate food service charity partnerships directly back onto campus. Ali Wadud Rahman (known to the campus community as Rafi), Brands and Marketing Manager for Chartwells at Laurentian, advocated to connect national brand promotions with local university causes.

"In previous years, campaign incentives went to charities outside of the campus," said Rahman. "We wanted to ensure that when our campus community supports these promotions, the benefits directly impact our own students. Seeing our campus rally together to place in the top 10 during the first two days of the campaign was incredible."

Working in partnership with Sue Lekun, Philanthropy Officer at Laurentian’s Office of University Advancement, Chartwells secured Tim Hortons as the inaugural partner for this new campus-focused charitable model.

"We are deeply grateful for Rafi’s advocacy on behalf of Indigenous students at Laurentian," said Mary Laur, Director of the Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre. "The $2,511 raised will directly fund wellness kits for Indigenous students, supporting them both on campus and online."

Building on this success, Chartwells plans to expand similar charitable partnerships across other on-campus food service locations for future national brand campaigns.