SETH MICHAEL MEYER
Assistant News Editor
I’ve spent a vast portion of my life indulging in the wonderful world of caffeinated beverages, and when it comes to Tim Hortons, “reliable” is the word that comes to mind.
From my home town of Erie, P.A., to the wonderful world of the Williams Center, Tims is always there to satisfy my morning needs of a sausage, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich with an extra-large coffee with cream and sugar.
Dunkin’ Donuts prides themselves in being the American choice for coffee, but it fails the quality of this young patriot. Dunkin’s menu fails in variety serving mere pastries along with the hot sauce they call coffee. If America really “runs on Dunkin,” I’m moving to Canada: the heartland of single-payer health care and Tim Hortons.
The variety of Tims is unmatched to say the least. They sell muffins and breakfast wraps in the morning but in the afternoon you can find a wide range of items on their lunch menu. They have paninis, chili, potato wedges and even mac ‘n cheese!
“Would you like some golden, delicious mac ‘n cheese with your coffee?” “Hell yeah I would!”
There is plenty to love about Tim Hortons café and bake shop. Whether it be their eclectic menu, the collegian atmosphere of rock wall and a fireplace, “Roll up the Rim” season or the simple sense of self-respect you have drinking Tim Hortons coffee, you can’t go wrong with a cup of Canadian coffee.
What is hardly ever mentioned that attributes the Tims’ superiority is the work that is done off the center stage. Donation boxes next to every Tim Hortons register read, “send a kid to camp” to send kids to camp — a story that usually stays out of the public eye.
The Tim Horton’s Youth Leadership program hosts thousands of kids a year in their camps throughout Canada. These kids are from low income families that reside in the U.S. and Canada and are selected, one way or another, to enjoy themselves on a 10-day camp experience which they get to do for five years.
These kids from many walks of life come together to learn the skills of being an effective leader by putting them in situations beyond their comfort zone so they can learn to cooperate and strive. Such tasks include seven-day long canoe trips, or five-day long hiking trips where these kids accept that giving up is not an option (regardless of what they encounter) and that they are only as fast as their slowest teammate.
These kids learn effective teamwork skills that last a lifetime, and they couldn’t have been able to do it without Tim Hortons. I am lucky enough to be one of those kids that got to experience such a wonderful camp, and it is truly life changing.
With that said, Tim Hortons triumphs by having great coffee and changing lives every day.