'Nova Scotia Strong' donut will be available from April 29 to May 5

TORONTO (NEWS 1130) — A ‘Nova Scotia Strong’ donut will be sold across Canadians Tim Hortons starting Wednesday to support the Canadian Red Cross Stronger Together Nova Scotia Fund.

About 1,500 Tim Hortons restaurant owners throughout the country will launch the new campaign this week and forward 100 per cent of the proceeds to the fund.

The Canadian Red Cross fund, in partnership with Nova Scotia’s government, is raising money to “support individuals, families and communities impacted by the Nova Scotia tragedy with immediate and long-term needs, including resiliency and capacity building.”

To kick start the campaign, NHL stars Sidney Crosby, and Nathan MacKinnon are featured in a recorded video to raise awareness for the campaign.

“As proud Nova Scotians, we are incredibly saddened by the tragedy that took place in our community. To show our support, we’ve partnered with Tim Hortons to give every Canadian a way to show theirs,” Crosby and MacKinnon say in the video.

“Let’s show Nova Scotians how all Canadians stand with them.”

Twenty-two people were killed during the gunman’s rampage in 16 different locations, which began the night of April 18 and ended the next day, with the shooter dead.

In a release, Tim Hortons says, given the urgency to begin fundraising, the donut design will vary by the restaurant “depending on what supplies owners have available.”

“This tragedy has been all the more devastating, given how Canadians were already struggling with the unprecedented nature of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Thinking about how family and friends cannot mourn their loved ones with a traditional funeral service at this time is all the more heart-wrenching. From all of us at Tim Hortons, our hearts go out to all those who are hurting right now – we are thinking of you,” Tim Hortons Chief Marketing Officer Hope Bagozzi says in the release.

You can purchase the Nova Scotia Strong donut until May 5 at the participating restaurants.