Dr. R.E.M. Lee Foundation receives proceeds from smile cookie campaign

Two people stand beside a drive-through talking to someone in a black truck
Board directors Linda Gingles and Ron Bartlett at Sept. 24 smile cookie day event. Photo courtesy of the Dr. R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation.
Morgyn Budden - CFNR - TerraceBC | 07-10-2022
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This year's Tim Horton’s Smile Cookie Campaign is resulting in new surgical equipment for Terrace. 

Nearly 13,000 cookies (at $1 a cookie) were sold this year between the two Terrace locations. 

The Dr. R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation will be receiving the proceeds from this years fundraiser to go towards a new specialized tray to perform surgeries on hands. 

The local foundation was established in 1988 by Dr. Lee after his retirement to expand and update different types of medical equipment for the Mills Memorial Hospital. The hospital has the only plastic surgeon in the whole northwest region who specializes in operating on hands. 

Total cost of the tray is $93,510. With this new tray made specially for complex hand repairs, patient wait times will decrease, and will prevent patients from having to go to Prince George or Vancouver for surgery. 

Administrative assistant for the foundation Heather Bellamy says that this is the third year that the smile cookie campaign has donated it’s proceeds to the foundation. Though this year saw a $3,000 increase from last years total. 

To cover the rest of the cost, Bellamy says they rely on different grants from across the country, as well as the support of other local organizations like the Terrace Rotary Club, Knights of Columbus, and other private donors.

Listen to the CFNR radio story below: