A Tim Hortons Fan Is Fighting To Keep One Donut On The Menu & He'll Run As Far As It Takes
Canadians are passionate about Tim Hortons donuts, but is the average Canadian passionate enough to run dozens, or even hundreds of kilometres to keep one particular donut on the menu?
If your answer to that question is "yes" you're probably Zacary Jeaurond, an Alberta-based long-distance runner who is spearheading a campaign to save the Walnut Crunch.
What exactly is the Walnut Crunch? Well, back in the day it was a regular item on the Tim Hortons donut menu. It was a long, slightly rectangular glazed chocolate donut with bits of walnut inside.
Eventually, it was discontinued, however just last month the donut made a limited return to Tim Hortons across Canada. And that's when Jeaurond got an idea.
"I was pretty excited but a little bit bummed it was only for a limited time," he said, "so I thought [I'd] see if there's anything I can do to try and make sure they keep it for good."
And what did he come up with? Well, cardio exercise of course.
To date, Jeaurond has run well over 200 cumulative kilometres and has done at least one 30-kilometre bike race, and he's not going to stop until he gets a clear answer from Tim Hortons on whether or not they'll be keeping his favourite donut.
You might be thinking to yourself, "All of this just for a donut?" Well, if you have any sort of emotional connection to a food item you used to eat when you were young, you'd also fully understand Jeaurond's impulse.
His love for the Walnut Crunch donut started when he was just a kid.
"I think the reason that it's become such a big deal for me is all the sentimental value I have for it," explained Jeaurond, waxing poetic about how perfectly its flavour fit his palate.
"We'd be going to a hockey tournament and they'd be like 'OK, let's get a round of donuts for everybody' and every single time for me it was Walnut Crunch," he said.
"And if they were out, it was like 'I don't even know if I want another one.'"
And now that Jeurond is a father, he's beginning to forge new sentimental memories with the Walnut Crunch.
"In all reality now it's really the stories and memories I felt with my 10-month-old daughter now [that stick with me]," he said.
"And I just hope that I can one day enjoy one with her when she will actually remember eating it," he said.
Which brings us back to the whole point of this journey: to keep that Walnut Crunch in stores.
On top of dedicating his various long-distance runs to the cause, Jeaurond's also done a few more specific Walnut Crunch-themed runs.
For one, Jeaurond ran 15 kilometres going to all five of the Tim Hortons in his town of Airdrie, Alberta and eating a Walnut Crunch at each. Not exactly athletic performance food, but surprisingly not as bad as you would think.
"One thing a lot of people will learn, when you get into the ultra [marathon] distances, is that eating while running is actually a very, very key factor," he explained, adding that part of this was training his body to be more adept at digesting while moving.
"So as ridiculous as five Walnut Crunches was on 15 kilometres, you would never do that on a real race, it actually does help," said Jeaurond, pointing out it's actually both a funny stunt and a legitimate training opportunity.
"I will say, I found my limit," he laughed, "that's about as much as I would ever eat."
He added that the donuts were "definitely pushing the boundary of what is going to fuel me and what is going to make me sick at one point."
On top of his Walnut Crunch-fueled run, he's also set up a fund, called the Save The Walnut Crunch Fund where fans and supporters can donate money. As of July 18, the fund is at a little under $1,000, but once it reaches the threshold, Jeaurond is going to approach Tim Hortons with an offer.
"If I can convince Tim Hortons to keep the Walnut Crunch, we're going to donate it to the Tim Hortons Kids Camps Charity. If I can't [convince them] we're going to donate it all to the Ronald McDonald House [Charity]," he said.
"It's going to a reputable charity either way."
As for the response from Tim Hortons, it's been positive but he's yet to get a clear answer on what the plan is for the Walnut Crunch.
On the local level, he's been gifted meals and donuts, but he just recently received word from the corporate side.
"They had sent a special box to my local Airdrie [Tim Hortons] location for me," said Jeaurond.
"It had a medal in it that said 'Walnut Crunch Super Fan' so that was pretty cool," he said, "It came with a pair of Tim Hortons sandal slides as well as a Tim Hortons running cap."
Nestled in with the free swag was also a note saying they were happy he could share the Walnut Crunch with his daughter as well as wishing him luck on his next race.
"No mention of keeping the donut... but it was nice to hear something back."
If you couldn't tell, it's clear that Jeaurond is dedicated to trying to get this donut back at Tim Hortons for good, so until he gets a clear word back, you can expect to see him running through Western Canada calling for that Walnut Crunch. His next race? A 118-kilometre "death race" through the Rocky Mountains.
So, if you want to help Jeaurond in his cause, you can go to his Instagram page, @zaddy.daycare.yyc, to follow along in his journey, or you can even donate some money to the fund by e-transferring a few bucks to savethewalnutcrunch@gmail.com, with all proceeds going to at least one of the major charities.
"I just want to try and keep the movement going and show people what I'm willing to do and what it would mean to many Canadians if they're able to keep [the Walnut Crunch] around."
Now that's dedication to a donut.
The Walnut Crunch Donut.
The inside of the Walnut Crunch donut.
Tim Hortons Walnut Crunch and Cherry Stick donuts.