Costco cashiers raise funds for kids who need healthcare

When you reach the front of the line at Costco, it’s usually a whirlwind – scan, pay, pack, go. But every year in May you’ll be met with one small question that has a big impact: Would you like to donate to your local Children’s Hospital?

Across Canada, Costco store employees are rallying behind this annual campaign by the Children’s Miracle Network – cheering, ringing bells, and in some cases, sharing deeply personal stories.

In Winnipeg, a passionate champion is long-time cashier Heather Pakkala, whose daughter, Abby, was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate.

“I didn’t even know what that was when the doctors told me,” Heather says.

At five months pregnant, Heather found out her daughter would have cleft lip. She says she was at a regular prenatal checkup when the ultrasound technician asked the physician to take a look. This had not happened with her first child.

HSC Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg got in touch with Heather very soon afterwards and was there to answer any question she had.

Children’s hospital staff also showed Heather before and after photos of other kids which put her mind at ease.

“I knew she’d be okay because they told me she was healthy – and the Children’s Hospital was with me every step of the way.”

From prenatal care to multiple surgeries and years of follow-up, Abby’s journey is inseparable from the care she received at Manitoba’s only children’s hospital. To show gratitude – and raise awareness – Heather now wears a custom shirt during the campaign each year. It features a before-and-after photo of Abby, who’s grown up before the eyes of Costco members and coworkers.

“Some people actually say, ‘It’s the shirt.’ That’s why they donate,” Heather says. “It gives them a face to connect the donation to. It makes it real.”

Other donors love that every dollar they give will stay local for kids in their community Children’s Hospital.

For Kareena, the front-end manager at the Winnipeg store, the campaign is personal too. Her great-nephew received life-saving surgery at the hospital, “Nearly everyone knows someone who has been helped by Children’s.”

“You might not think it’s close to home,” she says, “but if you just take a second to think, it probably is.”

Each donation – no matter how small – is celebrated. Cashiers ring bells, cheer, and even bang on the tills in a kind of joyful call-and-response. Sometimes, a customer drops a $20 and gets a round of applause. Other times, it’s a 60-cent round-up that sparks a smile and a heartfelt “thank you.”

“There’s a couple who donates $1,000 every year in honour of their grandkids. But even $1 makes a difference. Every dollar counts,” says Heather.

The energy on the sales floor during the campaign is infectious. Team members encourage each other. Customers ask what the fun noise is about. Some even line up to give extra just to hear the bell.

“You get a lot of people saying no, and that’s hard,” says Heather. “But then you get that one yes, and it’s everything. It fires you up again.”

It’s not just customers who donate either. Staff at the Costco donate generously too.

Winnipeg Costco stores raised over $227,000 in 2025 for the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, helping care for over 140,000 patients. Heather is the top fundraising cashier too, raising an astounding $11,000 at her till alone.

They know that every ask counts and even if the answer is “no” today, that person may give another day because the staff have shared the message of the need for kids in Children’s Hospitals.

“We’re not just asking for money,” says Kareena. “We’re sharing hope. You never know when someone in your family will need Children’s. When they do, you hope people were there for you too.”