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Although this year's summer weather is nowhere close to the history-making heatwave that plagued North America in 2012, the temperatures in many parts of the continent have still been extremely high.

Air conditioners, taking a cold bath, and drinking a lot of water are all effective ways to beat the heat, and so is indulging in a cold treat.

Throughout the summer, many of America's favorite restaurants, such as Starbucks and Dairy Queen, have been giving away free frozen drinks and desserts to help people cool down. Now, it's 7-Eleven's turn to treat you to a refreshing freebie.

The popular convenience store is helping you end summer on a cool and tasty note by giving away free Slurpees all week long!

From Monday August 13 to Sunday, August 19, head into a 7-Eleven at anytime to take advantage of their buy one, get one free Slurpee deal. All sizes and flavors, including the new Cap 'N Crunch Crunch Berries, are included in the promotion.

The only catch is that you'll have to make sure that the free Slurpee is the same size or smaller than the one you pay for.

The deal is available to all customers, so you don't need to be part of their 7Rewards loyalty program. However, if you are a member, both your paid and free Slurpee will count toward the store's "Buy Six, Get the Seventh Free" reward.

While we're on the topic of Slurpees, did you know that the drink, which was originally called ICEE, was created by mistake?

In 1959, Omar Knedlik, a Kansas Dairy Queen franchise owner, used to place bottles of soda in the freezer to keep them cool since his store did not have a soda fountain. His customers loved the icy drinks so much that Knedlik found a solution to freeze the soda faster.

It took him five more years to get the perfect the process, and he eventually found a company that was willing to distribute his cool creation. Today, more than 14 million Slurpees are consumed by 7-Eleven customers every month.

Will you be taking advantage of this week's free Slurpee deal? Let us know!