July 7, 2022

Winnipeg
19° C, Partly cloudy

Full Forecast

Contact Us Subscribe Manage Subscription Chat with us
Log in Create Free Account Help Chat with us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising Contact
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Subscribe to Newsletters

    • Finding your
      information

    • My Account
    • Manage my Subscription
    • Change Password

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate

    • Log Out
    • Log in
    • Create Free Account
    • Help

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate
  • Coronavirus Coverage
  • Replica E-Edition
    • About the E-Edition
    • Winnipeg Free Press
    • Community Review East
    • Community Review West
  • Above the Fold
  • Front page
  • Arts & Life
    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Book Club
    • Cannabis
    • Celebrities
    • Diversions
    • Puzzles
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Your Health
    • Life & Style
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Science & Technology
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Business
    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
    • Manitoba's Top Employers
  • Canada
  • Local
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
  • Sports
    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Auto Racing
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • Golf
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Horse Racing
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Olympics
    • Soccer
  • World
  • Reader BridgeNEW
  • WFP EventsNEW
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Carrier Positions & Retailer Requests
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
    • History
    • Internships
    • Job Opportunities
    • News Café
    • Privacy Policy
    • Retail Locations
    • Staff Biographies
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Archives
  • Free Press Community Review
    • All Free Press Community Review News
    • East Edition
    • West Edition
    • Sports
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • E-Editions
  • Classifieds
  • Contests
  • Coupons
    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print Coupons
    • Ripley's Aquariums Coupons
    • The Bay Coupons
    • Staples Canada Coupons
    • Altitude Sports Coupons
    • Nike Coupons
    • Tuango Coupons
    • Ebay Canada Coupons
    • Sport Chek Coupons
    • Roots Coupons
  • LifestylesNEW
    • All Lifestyles
    • Business Hub
    • Community
    • Drink & Dine
    • Life
    • Wellness
    • Whiskers & Wings
    • Sponsored Articles
  • Homes
    • Property Listings
    • Featured News
    • Renovation and design
    • New homes
    • Resale homes
  • Newsletters
  • Obituaries
  • Puzzles
  • Photo and Book store
  • More

©2022 FP Newspaper Inc.

Close
  • Quick Links

    • Coronavirus Coverage
    • Federal Election
    • Above the Fold
    • Home
    • Local
    • Canada
    • World
    • Classifieds
    • Special Coverage
    • Newsletters
    • Obituaries
    • Photo and Book store
    • Archives
    • Contests
    • Publications
    • Sponsored Content
    • Privacy Policy

    Ways to support us

    • Pay it Forward program
    • Subscribe
    • Support Faith coverage
    • Support Arts coverage
  • Replica E-Edition

    • About the E-Edition
    • Winnipeg Free Press
    • Community Review East
    • Community Review West

    Business

    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
  • Arts & Life

    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Cannabis
    • Celebrities
    • Diversions
    • Puzzles
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Your Health
    • Life & Style
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Science & Technology
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Sports

    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Auto Racing
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • Golf
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Horse Racing
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Olympics
    • Soccer
  • Opinion

    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor

    Media

    • All Media
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos

    Homes

    • Property Listings
    • Featured News
    • Renovation and design
    • New homes
    • Resale homes
  • Canstar Community News

    • All Free Press Community Review News
    • East Edition
    • West Edition
    • Sports
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • E-Editions
  • Coupons

    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print Coupons
    • Ripley's Aquariums Coupons
    • The Bay Coupons
    • Staples Canada Coupons
    • Altitude Sports Coupons
    • Nike Coupons
    • Tuango Coupons
    • Ebay Canada Coupons
    • Sport Chek Coupons
    • Roots Coupons
  • About Us

    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Carrier Positions & Retailer Requests
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
    • History
    • Internships
    • Job Opportunities
    • News Café
    • Privacy Policy
    • Retail Locations
    • Staff Biographies
    • Terms and Conditions
The Free Press
Articles Read
Your Balance +tax
Day Pass Till
Day Pass
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising Contact
    • Report an Error
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
    • Staff Biographies
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Subscribe to Newsletters

    • Finding your
      information

    • Log in
    • Create Account
    • Help
    • Chat with us

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate
    • My Account
    • Manage My Subscription
    • Change Password
    • Chat with us

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate

    • Log Out
Log in Create Account Contact Us
Contact Us Manage Subscription
  • Sections
  • Local
  • Arts & Life
    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Diversions
    • Environment
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Health
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Business
    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
    • Manitoba's Top Employers
  • Sports
    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Soccer
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
  • E-Edition
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
    • All Classifieds
    • Announcements
    • Automotive
    • Careers
    • Garage Sales
    • Merchandise
    • Pets
    • Real Estate
    • Rentals
    • Services
  • Lifestyles
    • Business Hub
    • Community
    • Drink & Dine
    • Life
    • Manitoba’s Top Employers
    • Wellness
    • Whiskers & Wings
    • Sponsored Articles
  • Coupons
    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print
    • Ripley's Aquariums
    • The Bay
    • Staples Canada
    • Altitude Sports
    • Nike
    • Tuango
    • Ebay Canada
    • Sport Chek
    • Roots
  • Obituaries
  • Subscribe$1.50 for 5 months
Home Arts & Life Life & Style

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

How the cookie crumbled

By: Doug Speirs
Posted: 4:00 AM CDT Tuesday, Sep. 18, 2018

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Print
  • Email
  • Save to Read Later

I can always count on my buddy Big Daddy Tazz when the chips are down, especially if those chips are made from delicious milk chocolate.

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/9/2018 (1388 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

I can always count on my buddy Big Daddy Tazz when the chips are down, especially if those chips are made from delicious milk chocolate.

That was the case Monday when, for the fourth straight year, Tazz and I joined forces to compete in a no-holds-barred cookie-decorating contest in support of the Children’s Rehabilitation Foundation.

SUPPLIED</p><p>Big Daddy Tazz (left) and Bernard Rosello, the youth ambassador for the Children’s Rehabilitations Foundation, have cookies on their minds.</p>

SUPPLIED

Big Daddy Tazz (left) and Bernard Rosello, the youth ambassador for the Children’s Rehabilitations Foundation, have cookies on their minds.

Tazz — a renowned cookie-loving comedian — and I were one of 12 teams on hand to launch Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Week, wherein the proceeds from every $1 smile cookie sold in the city until Sunday go the rehabilitation foundation to help pay for programs and specialized equipment for disabled children and youths up to the age of 21.

This year’s contest got off to a much better start than last year’s event, because this time around I remembered to arrive clutching a cup of Tims coffee, as opposed to that other famous brand.

"Excellent choice this time, Doug!" is what Jason Kopytko, the always-cheerful regional marketing manager for Tims, chirped as I wandered into the mall’s centre court with my steaming java.

Before the cookie-decorating battle kicked off, there was a trivia contest to determine how much time each team had to decorate their cookie. Tazz and I shrieked the answer to the first question, so we were given the maximum four minutes of decorating time.

In each of the last three years, we have crumbled in the cookie contest for the following three reasons: we did not have a plan; we ate most of our box of Tims chocolate chip cookies before the contest even began; and/or we sucked the pink and blue icing directly from the tubes.

The way this contest works is one person on each team is supposed to paint a portrait of the other person via the artistic technique of squeezing globs of icing on top of a cookie.

This year, Tazz hatched a plan wherein, instead of decorating just one cookie, we would mash all of the cookies together to form a giant head that we would then decorate with an icing beard to resemble Tazz’s trademark facial hair.

Before I tell you the thrilling conclusion, I will point out that last year Smile Cookie Week raised a hefty $117,000 for the foundation to pay for specialized equipment — everything from adaptive bicycles and lightweight wheelchairs to iPads to help kids learn and communicate with their families — and inclusive leisure programs.

"The year before (2016) was record-breaking," Jessica Cable, communications and marketing co-ordinator for the foundation, told me. "We raised $135,000 in 2016, so this year our goal is to beat that amount. Anything above and beyond that would be incredible.

"It’s not just about money. It’s also about people learning about what we do and where our money goes and how we help children with disabilities. Last year we funded over 240 pieces of equipment, ranging anywhere from $1,000 to $7,000. Without fundraisers like this, we couldn’t provide the equipment we do."

The judging in Monday’s cookie slugfest was once again handled by Bernard Rosello, 13, a high-energy Grade 8 student at General Byng School who was born without a right leg and roars around on a prosthetic steel limb with a bouncy fibreglass blade at the bottom.

With a little help from the foundation, Bernard and his infectious smile do more on one leg than most people do on two.

"I play for the high-performance wheelchair basketball team," he gushed, while simultaneously chowing down on a box of Timbits. "We’re going to the Canada Winter Games this year in Red Deer. This is my second year playing. They just tell me to do whatever and I go to that position, except centre, because I’m not tall."

Over the years, Bernard has had about 15 different prosthetic legs. "I wear this leg for basketball, badminton and volleyball," he said.

"My other leg is basically a human leg. It’s got a foot on it. I also play sledge hockey. They (the foundation) got me a razor sledge. It helps me go faster and shoot higher. And they’re getting me a new special wheelchair for basketball."

It would be an understatement to say that having one leg hasn’t slowed this pint-sized powerhouse in the slightest.

"I want people to buy cookies because all the money goes to the foundation to get kids new gear," he declared. "I’m trying to tell people that your disability doesn’t define who you are. It’s what you do that defines you. My goal is to be one of the youngest Paralympians and play for Team Canada."

Speaking of cookies, I’d like to tell you that Tazz and I were victorious, but I’d be lying. When Tazz looked at our misshapen masterpiece, he frowned and grunted: "It looks like two monkeys eating crayons. We had the maximum amount of time to decorate and it still didn’t help!"

The Free Press | Newsletter

Shelley Cook | Uplift

A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday.

Sign up for Uplift
Sign Up

When it came to judging, Bernard clearly agreed, awarding the coveted Smile Cookie Cup to KiSS 102.3 morning hosts Drew Kozub and Karly Troschuk, who had only 30 seconds to decorate, but still whipped up a cookie that resembled an alien baby and stuck it in the top of Drew’s hoodie.

"I would like to take full credit for the hoodie idea," Karly declared.

"I’m putting this victory on my resumé," Drew laughed.

The good news is Jason Kopytko from Tims told me the world is starting to take a bigger bite out of smile cookies. "This year, the smile cookie has gone international — it’s being launched in the U.S., the U.K., Mexico, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates, so it’s gone global," Jason revealed.

Which is great news, kids. So drop whatever you’re doing, pull out your wallets, and go buy a bunch. If you think about it, that will turn them into fortune cookies.

doug.speirs@freepress.mb.ca

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

  • Report Error
  • Submit a Tip
  • Refund
  • The Free Press is certified by

The Winnipeg Free Press invites you to share your opinion on this story in a letter to the editor. A selection of letters to the editor are published daily.

To submit a letter:
• fill out the form on this page, or
• email letters@freepress.mb.ca, or
• mail Letters to the Editor, 1355 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2X 3B6.

Letters must include the writer’s full name, address, and a daytime phone number. Letters are edited for length and clarity.

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Top