The local chapter of the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada is encouraging sweethearts to go out for a heart-shaped pizza on Valentine’s Day as the organization will reap the financial benefits.

For the 16th consecutive year, Boston Pizza International will be supporting the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada by donating $1 from each heart-shaped pizza sold on Thursday to the foundation.

“Valentine’s Day is the busiest day of the year for Boston Pizza International,” said Gravenhurst Boston Pizza’s community relations co-ordinator Rob Carleton. “Last year we raised nearly $2,000 for the local chapter of Heart & Stroke.”

Guests can also donate one dollar to write a Valentine message on a paper heart for a special someone. The paper heart sales account for nearly 75 per cent of the campaign’s fundraising total.

Nationally, Boston Pizza hopes to exceed last year’s fundraising total of $451,000. Due to the success of the promotion, Boston Pizza’s charitable foundation will be assisting more charities. The Boston Pizza Foundation will donate up to $250,000 to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada and will be dividing the remainder of money raised between Kids Help Phone and Juvenile Diabetes research.

There are 23 pizza varieties available for heart-shaped pizzas in individual, small and medium size to suit every appetite.

More than $2.1 million has been raised through the heart-shaped pizza promotion since 1993.