Something to smile about: Caleb's Courage gets $100K donation

Post-tropical storm Fiona may have cancelled one of the biggest fundraisers for pediatric care in Cape Breton this year, but the funds have still managed to come full circle.

For several years, the annual Caleb's Courage 'Walk, Run & Fly' was one of the biggest fundraisers for pediatric care in Cape Breton.

It was cancelled for two years due to COVID-19 and was supposed to make its big in-person comeback the last Sunday in September.

“We were devastated to have to cancel Caleb’s run,” said his mom Nicole MacArthur. “We had been anticipating this. It had been three years and we had put a lot of time and effort, and our hearts were broken when we had to cancel it.”

When the Walk, Run & Fly fundraiser was wiped out, so too was all the money it would have raised that day.

But now, they’ve recouped that loss, and then some, thanks to a nearly $100,000 donation.

“We were blown away when we heard the total amount,” Nicole said.

The same week Fiona was headed toward the Atlantic region, the annual Smile Cookie campaign took place.

Now, for the first time, all Tim Hortons locations on the Island have chosen the same charity – Caleb’s Courage – to contribute proceeds.

“When you think of it, almost 100,000 cookies,” said Caleb’s father Mike MacArthur. “We had schools that wanted to do this. We had employers purchasing them for their families.”

For the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation, which carries out the patient help from the proceeds, this surprise donation comes at the perfect time.

“We actually just announced our Radio Month,” said Caitlyn MacDonald. “We raised over $1 million to support mom and baby and pediatrics. So the fact that we were able to announce today that the Smile Cookie campaign brought in close to $100,000 --- that is just the cherry on top.

To Caleb’s mom, the whole thing feels like a little twist of fate.

“I feel like sometimes things just have a way of working out,” Nicole said. “We have a special little angel looking over us.”