Pandemic leads 7-Eleven to forgo free Slurpees on 7-11

DALLAS (AP) — The coronavirus pandemic has taken away another summertime tradition in the U.S.: There will be no free Slurpees at 7-Elevens on Saturday — July 11 — to hail a date that doubles as an abbreviation of the convenience store’s name. 7-Eleven has been giving away its slushy beverage to all customers for nearly 20 years on July 11, but it scrapped the promotion this summer to reduce the risk of people flocking to its stores and possibly catching the coronavirus. Instead, the Dallas-based chain decided to donate 1 million meals to Feeding America, a hunger relief group. About 33 million people with a 7-Eleven app on their phones can still get a free medium Slurpee during July.