Boston's to sell heart-shaped pizzas for JDRF

Valentine’s Day is just a few days away, which means Boston’s Restaurant and Sports Bar is kicking off its annual fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  Through Monday, Feb. 14, all Boston’s restaurants, including the one near Hwy 281 and Loop 1604, will sell $1 paper hearts for JDRF. 

The popular eatery is also selling heart-shaped desserts and, between Feb. 11 and Feb. 14, will offer heart-shaped pizzas as well.  Boston’s will donate $1 for each Valentine-themed food item sold to the research foundation. 

On top of the hearts, desserts and heart-shaped pizzas, the local Boston’s at 1827 N. Loop 1604 East will also donate 10 percent of all sales made on Thursday, Feb. 10 to JDRF’s San Antonio chapter. 

“Whether it’s through customer service or community service, Boston’s believes in taking care of our guests,” says Mike Best, Boston’s chief operating officer. “Our ongoing, national partnership with JDRF makes a difference in the communities where our franchisees operate.”

This is the third year Boston’s has hosted its Cares fundraiser for JDRF. Last year’s effort raised more than $100,000, which was triple the prior year’s contribution.  Since 2005, Boston’s Pizza Foundation has donated more than $609,000 to local charities in the United States. 

JDRF is the largest charitable funder and advocate of type 1 diabetes research in the world.  The foundation has awarded more than $1.5 billion since 1970.  Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that strikes both children and adults, requires a lifetime of injected or pumped insulin and can lead to devastating complications, including kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, stroke and amputation.  There are approximately three million Americans living with type 1 diabetes and more than 15,000 children are diagnosed with the disease each year.

The sister company of Canada’s Boston Pizza, Boston’s Restaurant and Sports Bar was first introduced to the U.S. in 1998.  A full-service, family dining restaurant with separate sports bar, Boston’s offers 18 varieties of gourmet pizza, as well as salads, burgers, sandwiches, ribs and wings.  Boston’s Pizza and Boston’s Restaurants currently have more than 388 outlets in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.  Six new restaurants are expected to open in 2011. 

The local Boston’s, located within the Legacy retail center at 1827 N. Loop 1604 East, is open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.  For more information, visit www.facebook.com/BostonsSanAntonio.