Canadian coffee and doughnut chain Tim Hortons is listed as co-sponsor of the National Organization for Marriage’s antigay cookout and worship service on behalf of heterosexual-only marriage Aug. 16 at Aldrich Mansion in suburban Providence. Rhode Island is the last state in New England to oppose marriage equality.
According to Providence Daily Dose:
The event is “free and open to the public,” meaning that we’re all invited! So come on down! You can pay a modest fee for some hot food (some portion of which may or may not go to NOM/RI and their ongoing fight against the threat of marriage equality here and elsewhere), or you can just brown-bag it.
Tim Hortons is Canada’s largest foodservice operation — by some measures, larger than McDonald’s in that country. It is also the largest Canadian coffeehouse chain — Starbucks is No. 2. It has expanded into the eastern United States in recent years, acquiring local chains and amassing a network of 500 U.S. restaurants as it seeks to push aside Starbucks and New England-based Dunkin’ Donuts.
At first glance, Tim Hortons’ sponsorship of the National Organization for Marriage appears to be in violation of corporate policy against support for religious and political causes. According to the company web site:
As a company, our focus is on helping children and supporting fundraising events for non-profit organizations and registered charities.
For this reason, Tim Hortons does not sponsor individuals, those representing religious groups, political affiliates, book endorsements or traveling sports teams. Tim Hortons does not provide cash donations.
So, why the exception? Apparently, the company allows local store owners to bend the rules as they please. As the company says:
Many Tim Hortons store owners are involved in their community and are proud to support a variety of programs and events on both a local and regional level. Nearly 95% of Tim Hortons locations are owned and operated by independent business people, so the final decision to make a donation is at the discretion of the store owner.
Contact Tim Hortons and give them your thoughts about the value of corporate policies that apparently were made to be broken.
Many thanks to Wesli Dymoke and Providence Daily Dose for uncovering this story.
Tags: marriage, National Organization for Marriage, Rhode Island, Tim Hortons37 Comments »
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You may also want to know that these products
http://shop.legalseafoods.com/index.cfm/pk/category/ac/list/cid/10042
are made by Blount Fine Foods, another of the event’s sponsors.
Comment by Kerri — August 9, 2009 @ 9:41 pm
The Providence Equality Action Coalition was already planning to protest the NOM rally. Now we have even more to do! Thanks for the tip!
Comment by Brian Chidester — August 9, 2009 @ 10:30 pm
[...] at first glance, the best-known sponsor of the National Organization for Marriage’s Aug. 16 antigay fund-raiser, cookout and “worship service” in Warwick, [...]
Pingback by Truth Wins Out - Vendor’s Antigay Sponsorship May Put Legal Sea Foods, Panera Bread in Hot Seat — August 9, 2009 @ 10:33 pm
FYI Tim Horton’s is an American company, owned by Wendy’s.
Comment by Mave — August 10, 2009 @ 12:03 am
Mave,
Wendy’s spun off the rest of its shares in Tim Hortons in 2006. Tim Hortons was added to Canada’s S&P/TSX Composite Index, and to the S&P/TSX 60.
Tim Hortons announced in June 2009 that the chain’s operations are being reorganized under a new publicly-traded company, incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act. The reorganization is pending shareholder approval. Until then, the company is incorporated in Delaware but the company’s operational headquarters are in Ontario.
The company’s main corporate partner these days is no longer Wendy’s; it’s Cold Stone Creamery. That partnership tested successfully in Rhode Island earlier this year and is being expanded to 100 stores.
Comment by Michael Airhart — August 10, 2009 @ 12:25 am
Mave — You are partly correct: Tim Hortons was merged with Wendy’s from 1995 to 2006. The company is technically HQ’d in Delaware right now, but is expected to return to Canada (Oakville, Ont.) in September. The company started in Hamilton, Ont. in 1964, and has maintained operational management from Ontario all along. It is historically regarded as a Canadian company and brand, and most of its operations and revenue are in Canada.
Comment by Wesli — August 10, 2009 @ 12:31 am
Yeah, they’re just doing that for tax purposes. In all other respects they might as well be McDonald’s.
Comment by Mave — August 10, 2009 @ 1:22 am
[...] 9 08 2009 I’m bored and hanging out on Twitter (it’s IRC 2.0!), and came across this link saying that Tim Hortons is sponsoring the National Marriage Organization’s Rhode Island [...]
Pingback by sunday night activism « delicious juice dot com — August 10, 2009 @ 1:24 am
Mave, Tim Hortons is no longer owned by Wendys. It hasn’t been since 2006.
If your point is that the two companies share some major investors, that’s correct — but that’s true of many legally independent companies around the world that are co-owned by billionaire investors and venture capital funds.
Tim Hortons is operated and led from Canada, and it soon will be incorporated there also.
Comment by Michael Airhart — August 10, 2009 @ 1:59 am
[...] The Canadian mega-giant Tim Hortons (which in Canada is the largest coffee chain in the country), has decided to co-sponsor a rally in Rhode Island next week hosted by the National Organization for …. Yup, the same National Organization for Marriage that is currently leading campaigns to take away [...]
Pingback by On Tim Hortons « The Ink Spectrum — August 10, 2009 @ 4:26 am
Tim Horton’s is a chain but some of the stores are private franchises.
Was the issue that one of the franchise owners donated money in the name of Tim Horton’s or did corporate give the money?
If the issue is that a local Tim Horton’s owner did it, then we should black list that one Tim Horton’s and seek to get other Tim Horton’s to sponsor our events.
Comment by Br. Jakob — August 10, 2009 @ 7:58 am
[...] Truth Wins Out: Canadian coffee and doughnut chain Tim Hortons is sponsoring the National Organization for [...]
Pingback by Dead Robot «Dead Robot — August 10, 2009 @ 8:02 am
I partially agree, Br. Jakob.
It appears, at minimum, that one or more franchises sponsored NOM’s event with donated goods. The situation could be worse than that: They might have provided cash, or corporate management may have acted as sponsors — we don’t know. Tim Hortons has a policy against political and religious sponsorships and a stronger policy against cash donations; the company should enforce these policies against any offending franchises.
If the corporation will not enforce that policy, then indeed, pro-equality sponsorships should be sought from other franchises in the chain.
Comment by Michael Airhart — August 10, 2009 @ 8:22 am
I dont see anywhere on the August Event Website where it is a anti-gay marriage event.
Mikey
Comment by Mikey — August 10, 2009 @ 8:45 am
Re: “I dont see anywhere on the August Event Website where it is a anti-gay marriage event.” Read their brochure: http://www.nomri.org/atf/cf/%7B68e2d769-444e-4146-bb45-b419ecdc260a%7D/trifoldInside.jpg. NOM and Maggie Gallagher are evil personified. NOM exists solely to defeat same-sex marriage initiatives and deny equality under the law.
Comment by Melissa — August 10, 2009 @ 8:55 am
Mickey,
From the website:
This is a great opportunity to take a stand for marriage as it was created: between a man and a woman. Our goal is to esteem marriage to its proper place in society and make a statement that Rhode Islanders believe strongly in this cherished institution.
Not sure how this could not be seen as anti-gay marriage.
Comment by David — August 10, 2009 @ 9:02 am
Mikey, I encourage you to read the event page. Its message and brief and simple:
“This is a great opportunity to take a stand for marriage as it was created: between a man and a woman.”
NOM’s website opposes individual and religious freedom for Americans who believe marriage is not limited to heterosexist couples. It supports the purchase of goods from antigay businesses. And it falsely and illogically blames the declining marital commitment and fidelity of conservative heterosexuals upon the desire of gay couples to support marriage.
http://www.nationformarriage.org
Comment by Michael Airhart — August 10, 2009 @ 9:02 am
Look at the NOM shills come out to play!
You can’t “take a stand” for marriage the way you are describing here, David and Michael, without enforcing discrimination along the lines of sex. You’re telling us the entirety of financial/tax/etc. changes that would apply to you if married can only apply if you’re the correct sex. You’re discriminating on that basis, not just orientation. See the problem guys?
Look, you can keep soft-pedalling your reactionary message because your PR team tells you to, but the rest of us know you stand for one thing this nation already knows does not work: “separate but equal”. That ideology failed America like few others ever have, yet here you are, pushing the past on us all.
Comment by PAD — August 10, 2009 @ 10:32 am
I’m just a confused bitch :(
Comment by Mave — August 10, 2009 @ 10:39 am
[...] Continue reading here: [...]
Pingback by Queeries.ca » Tim Hortons sponsors National Organization for Marriage — August 10, 2009 @ 11:01 am
It would be nice to post this to facebook. Is there a share button somewhere I’m not seeing?
Comment by Jeffrey — August 10, 2009 @ 11:30 am
Canadian gays are gonna hit ‘em for this where it hurts the most – CANADA!
Comment by William — August 10, 2009 @ 11:31 am
Jeffrey, please visit TWO on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/truthwinsout
Our Facebook button here is undergoing repair.
Comment by Michael Airhart — August 10, 2009 @ 11:36 am
[...] From Truth Wins Out: Doughnut Chain Tim Hortons Violates Its Own Policy, Sponsors NOM Antigay Fund-Raiser [...]
Pingback by GregPike.ca » Tim Horton’s Decides to get Political – Supports Anti-LGBT Group — August 10, 2009 @ 11:52 am
[...] company, Tim Hortons, is sponsoring a U.S. antigay religious organization’s fund-raiser against marriage and family equality next weekend in Rhode Island. The antigay organization, [...]
Pingback by Truth Wins Out - Ask Tim Hortons to Cut Sponsorship of Antigay Maggie Gallagher — August 10, 2009 @ 11:53 am
Whether it was an individual or the whole chain is irrelevent if the logo is on the brochure. This article rightly points out that Timmys is still new in the US, and this will be what people in the US associate it with: http://tinyurl.com/mbxum8
Comment by Michael — August 10, 2009 @ 12:14 pm
PAD, I think you’ve misread what David & Michael have posted here…they are simply quoting from the NOM page to show how the group is very much anti-same-sex marriage. From their comments, both of them seem to support same-sex marriage personally.
Comment by trent — August 10, 2009 @ 12:16 pm
[...] has been already pointed out here, it’s entirely possible that a rogue franchise owner in the area decided to sponsor the event [...]
Pingback by SIGNAL » Drink Tim’s, support anti-LGBT group? — August 10, 2009 @ 12:49 pm
[...] The Canadian mega-giant Tim Hortons (which in Canada is the largest coffee chain in the country), has decided to co-sponsor a rally in Rhode Island next week hosted by the National Organization for …. Yup, the same National Organization for Marriage that is currently leading campaigns to take [...]
Pingback by Urge Tim Hortons to Stop Supporting Anti-LGBT Group » Equal Roots — August 10, 2009 @ 2:05 pm
I just got off the phone with Tim Hortons, and they are working on releasing a statement now that they are not going to be endorsing this event. Diane, the woman in Marketing I spoke to, is in Toronto and says that they local marketing person made an error–whether that’s bullshit or not, the point is they are officially going to denounce the sponsorship. Feel free to call David Morelli at (905) 339-6277 and confirm for yourself…. you might get transferred as he’s been inundated, but go for it.
Comment by Ezra Horne — August 10, 2009 @ 2:27 pm
here’s the release: way to generic for my liking, but that’s corporate for you.
http://www.timhortons.com/us/en/about/2759.html
Comment by Ezra Horne — August 10, 2009 @ 2:28 pm
http://www.timhortons.com/us/en/about/2759.html
Sponsorship Pulled
Comment by Danielle M — August 10, 2009 @ 2:31 pm
Oops, got beat!
Comment by Danielle M — August 10, 2009 @ 2:32 pm
It’s OK Danielle–we’re all just glad they pulled it. My understanding is that it was a misunderstanding by a local marketing chump anyway.
Comment by Ezra Horne — August 10, 2009 @ 2:48 pm
Michael,
Just wanted to update your readers. Tim Hortons has posted a statement on this issue on its website: http://www.timhortons.com/us/en/about/2759.html
It reads:
Recently, Tim Hortons was approached in Rhode Island to provide free coffee and products for a local event, as we do thousands of times a year across Canada and the United States.
For 45 years, Tim Hortons and its store owners have practiced a philosophy of giving back to the communities in which we operate. As a company, our primary focus is on helping children and supporting fundraising events for non-profit organizations and registered charities.
For this reason, Tim Hortons has not sponsored those representing religious groups, political affiliates or lobby groups.
It has come to our attention that the Rhode Island event organizer and purpose of the event fall outside of our sponsorship guidelines. As such, Tim Hortons can not provide support at the event.
Tim Hortons and its store owners have always welcomed all families and communities to its restaurants and will continue to do so. We apologize for any misunderstanding or inconvenience this may have caused.
Comment by David Morelli — August 10, 2009 @ 3:26 pm
The following should be attributed to Blount Fine Foods of Fall River, Massachusetts.
“Corporate philanthropy and good citizenship has been part of Blount’ mission since inception. In keeping with that, we have a long track record of donating Blount-brand chowder and other products to all non-profits in our home area that request it for events. These donations of soup are just simple gestures of goodwill and were certainly not intended to be interpreted otherwise. It’ very concerning to us that anyone would think otherwise and as a result, we will review our policy going forward.”
Comment by Blount Fine Foods — August 10, 2009 @ 5:02 pm
Canadians weren’t happy.
Soccer and hockey moms and dads, business people, seniors, far more people than Canada’s gay community.
This is a big story.
NOM is a none entity here, they are no more known than FotF Canada to the general public.
Yes, I suppose the corporate statement is wishy washy to some because GLBT rights isn’t a federal or provincial Canadian political concern any more.
Tim Hortons is iconic, we expect the corporation to have and enforce this policy, and I think more Canadians than our US friends are aware of are very proud to stand with whoever calls Delaware regional office out on inappropriate sponsorship.
I see NOM says they aren’t planning a ‘retaliatory boycott.’
Oh.
Tim Hortons corporate office Oakville is not boycotting, this really is their policy and Canadians expect them to adhere to it, as should US citizens.
Canadian national pride and quiet expectation plays a role also in this being a big story here. Oakville is calling the shots again, not Delaware.
Comment by Bene D — August 11, 2009 @ 12:30 pm