Looking for ways to beat the summer heat? Try a free Slurpee from 7-Eleven convenience stores.

The international chain, which has multiple locations in Washtenaw County, is offering a free 7.11-ounce Slurpee drink Wednesday between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. to celebrate its 85th birthday.

The company expects to give away 7 million Slurpee drinks during the event, an increase of 2 million over 2010.

“7-Eleven Day, or free Slurpee Day, gets bigger and more popular every year,” said Joe DePinto, 7-Eleven CEO, in a release.

7-Eleven also hosted a special free Slurpee Day on May 23 to promote the launch of its Slurpee Lite — a sugar-free Slurpee flavored by Fanta and sweetened with Splenda.

The Texas-based retail chain, which has more than 46,800 outlets in 16 countries, has been expanding throughout all of Michigan in recent years and opened two locations in the downtown Ann Arbor area in 2011.

The company also signed a lease in April to open a store on the first-floor of the 14-story high-rise at 1300 S. University Ave. near the University of Michigan campus.

Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.