Boston Pizza raises nearly $500K for charity

March 28, 2014, Mississauga, ON – Boston Pizza guests helped
rake in $493,193 for charity this past Valentine’s Day.

The restaurant’s annual heart-shaped pizza charity event,
which took place on February 14 at 358 locations nationwide, raised funds for
Boston Pizza Foundation (BPF) Future Prospects.

BPF Future Prospects raises funds and awareness for a
variety of local, regional and national organizations that are committed to
providing children with positive role modeling and mentoring programs. This
year marks the 22nd anniversary of the annual Valentine’s Day program, which
has raised more than $5 million since it began in 1993. 

“We are extremely grateful to the many Canadians who helped
out this Valentine’s Day by celebrating their love with a delicious
heart-shaped pizza,” said Cheryl Treliving, executive director of BPF Future
Prospects, in a news release. “We served tens of thousands of heart-shaped
pizzas this year in support of BPF Future Prospects and the funds raised will
go a long way to helping kids across Canada be great.”

One dollar from the sale of every heart-shaped pizza sold at
Boston Pizza on February 14 was donated to BPF Future Prospects. From January
13 to February 14, guests were also invited to purchase a Boston Pizza scratch
card for a minimum donation of $2, or have a 1-in-4 chance of winning a free
Panookie, a free Starbucks coffee or $2 off a dessert. 

Proceeds from the Valentine’s Day campaign supports Big
Brothers Big Sisters, which provides mentorship and guidance to nearly one
million Canadian children at risk; Live Different, a Canadian not-for-profit
organization that delivers motivational school assemblies, workshops and
leadership training programs through Canada’s public, Catholic, and independent
middle and secondary schools; Kids Help Phone, a long-standing partner which
helps ensure young people have ongoing access to its essential, professional
and innovative counselling and support services 24/7, and the JDRF Ambassador
and Leadership program which provides youth and teens with type 1 diabetes
opportunities for leadership, mentoring, and presentation training.