OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Members of the Boys and Girls Club decorated their own custom smile cookies last spring as part of a fundraiser held by Tim Hortons in Dunkirk.

The annual tradition of spreading smiles and sweets has begun, as sales of Smile Cookies at participating Tim Hortons locations across North America have commenced. Sales began on Monday and continue for the remainder of the week.

Local franchisees Dave and Gina Kron chose to partner with the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County a year ago, and the partnership was so successful, they have come back for seconds.

“The Smile Cookie sales last year had a gigantic impact on the Club,” said Jeannie Gallaway, Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County.

Last year, Gina and Dave Kron decided to focus on a local entity to benefit from the Smile Cookie sales. They selected the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County, and the results clearly supported their choice. After typically raising between $1,500 and $2,000 for other causes in previous years, the Smile Cookie campaign last year set a record for the Kron’s businesses with $9,000 raised.

“It’s a testament to show how much people are really supporting the Boys and Girls Club and what they do in the community,” Gina Kron said. “It’s really important to have a place for these kids to go… The community really rallied behind it.”

Gallaway said the Smile Cookie campaign is “not the first time they have put (The Boys and Girls Club) in the forefront of their thoughts.” Dave and Gina Kron frequently donated raffle baskets and provided donut decorating activities for the kids, and they have also employed several parents of Boys and Girls Club members.

“Gina and Dave go above and beyond to be supportive to our community and have really made a commitment to helping our youth,” Gallaway said. “… It’s really an incredible partnership to have with them.”

Holly Lanphere, Store Manager of one of the Tim Hortons locations owned by the Kron family, attended a Smile Cookie event last year with members of the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County. Among the members were her sons, Ivan and Ryan.

“I think it’s really awesome that Dave and Gina went out of their way to make sure that we could benefit the Boys and Girls Club,” Lanphere said at the event last year. “We know that it’s local this year and that’s really awesome.”

As was the case last year, the majority of the funds raised will be used to cover transportation costs to take the children on field trips, with the rest of the funds left over to cover additional programming needs, such as healthy snacks and materials. Last year, the money raised by Tim Hortons completely covered the Club’s field trips.

“We are so happy with the support we receive every day from our community. For us to be able to give back to our community, really is what we stand for. It makes us so happy to be able to do that,” Gina Kron said.

Smile Cookies are available at participating locations across the region, including the locations operated by the Kron family in Dunkirk on Vineyard Drive, on Lake Shore Drive in Dunkirk, and several others across the county and beyond.