Boston Pizza Stratford location raising money for Wellspring

Whether Valentine’s Day involves purchasing paper hearts, digital hearts or heart-shaped pizzas at Boston Pizza, the donations will support the local Wellspring chapter.

The Boston Pizza Stratford location on 729 Erie St. Unit A is raising money for Wellspring Stratford, an organization providing support services to cancer patients, survivors and their families. Customers can either purchase a paper heart in-store or digital heart online for a minimum of $2 up until Feb. 23.

The restaurant will also donate $1 from every sale of the salted caramel panookie, a cookie skillet and $1 for pizzas ordered for dine-in, take out and delivery ordered on Valentine’s Day. All small and medium-sized pizzas will be made into a heart for the occasion.

“Those four ways that they can help support would be amazing for us and the community and Wellspring,” said Ryan Butler, assistant manager.

The paper and digital hearts, which have been available since early January, have been well-received. As of Jan. 31, the day of the interview with the Times, there are between 20 to 25 paper hearts in the restaurant’s front lobby and additional digital hearts.

“A lot of people love to donate and have their name at the front, and the kids love to fill it out,” Butler said.

Lisa Stacey, office manager of Wellspring Stratford House, is thrilled that the Stratford Boston Pizza picked the organization for the charity of choice. Wellspring does not receive any funding from the government or the United Way, so it is reliant on fundraising and donations.

"Boston Pizza and different organizations putting on these things just help us take off that edge of how much we need to raise this year,” Stacey said. “Whenever we hear that something like this is happening, we're just so grateful that people are thinking of our organization to help out."

Funds raised from Boston Pizza’s initiatives will support a variety of Wellspring’s no-cost programming like yoga classes, aquafit classes with the YMCA, creative workshops focusing on crafts like art expression and poetry and in-person support groups.

Stacey added that those battling cancer have additional costs like transportation and gas to and from treatments and appointments, including out-of-town services in London and Kitchener, as well as medications.

"If we're offering programs that are for physical and mental health, we want to make sure that we have covered the cost for people so that it's one last thing that they to think about,” she said. 

Boston Pizzas across Canada donate to local charities through the heart-shaped pizza sales on Valentine’s Day. Previously, the Stratford location supported Rotary Hospice Stratford Perth and a food bank at one of the local high schools.

The restaurant chain used to split half of the funds raised between the local charities and the BP Foundation. This year, 100 per cent of the donations to Stratford’s Boston Pizza will support Wellspring. Butler said giving back to local organizations is important to the team.

“It’s very important I believe, especially in Stratford. The community's very tight-knit so where a business can support another business it shows integrity in that community and everyone's involvement in it,” he said.