Tim Horton Children's Foundation Celebrates the Grand Opening of Tim Horton Camp Whiteshell

First campers arrived this week!

PINAWA, Manitoba, June 26, 2015 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Tim Horton Children's Foundation opened the doors of its new camp, Tim Horton Camp Whiteshell, this week with the arrival of 177 campers from across North America. This is the 7^th camp for the Foundation that provides life-changing camping experiences for more than 18,000 kids and youth from low-income families each year.

Located on 17 hectares within Whiteshell Provincial Park in Manitoba, Tim Horton Camp Whiteshell will operate year-round and grow to serve over 3,800 economically disadvantaged youth annually.  Through the summer months, Tim Horton Camp Whiteshell is the home camp for 1,800 participants in the Foundation's Youth Leadership Program. Over five successive summers, these young people, aged 13-17, participate in camp sessions focused on personal leadership development and planning for future success through in-camp activities and wilderness expeditions. Throughout the fall, winter and spring, the camp will also welcome nearly 2,000 children and youth from Manitobaand North Western Ontario schools and community groups.

"The Tim Horton Children's Foundation is thrilled to welcome our first 177 campers to our 7^th camp, Tim Horton Camp Whiteshell," said Bill Moir, President, Tim Horton Children's Foundation. "Camp Whiteshell will allow us to double the number of participants in our Youth Leadership Program and provide enriching experiences that will have a lifelong impact on thousands of youth for generations to come. We are incredibly grateful to the countless Foundation supporters who helped make this dream a reality."

Construction of Tim Horton Camp Whiteshell began in late 2013 and would not have been possible without the support of Tim Hortons Restaurant Owners, corporate partners, individual donors, the provincial and municipal governments along with members of the Sagkeeng First Nation and Manitoba Metis Federation. More than 600 of these Foundation partners attended the ribbon cutting celebration and grand opening on Saturday, June 19, including Chief Derrick Henderson of the Sagkeeng First Nation, Minister of Environment and Mining Jean Desrosier, Manitoba Metis Federation, Ambassador, Gary Doer, and the Honourable Greg Selinger, Premier of Manitoba.

The local community is invited to join us for an Open House on Sunday, July 5th from 1:00-4:00pm to experience Tim Horton Camp Whiteshell first-hand. Camp tours and light refreshments will be available. Visit www.thcwopenhouse.com for details.

About the Tim Horton Children's Foundation 

The Tim Horton Children's Foundation (THCF) is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1974 that is committed to providing an enriched and memorable camp experience for children and youth living in economically disadvantaged homes. The Foundation's funding comes from Tim Hortons Camp Day, fundraising activities, special events, and year-round public donations collected through counter and drive-thru coin boxes, as well as other donations. By the end of 2015, more than 215,000 children will have attended a Foundation camp at no cost to them or their families. For more information about the Tim Horton Children's Foundation, please visit www.thcf.com.

SOURCE Tim Horton Children's Foundation