Little Falls pizzeria dishes up free Christmas pie

The owner of a Little Falls pizza joint is dishing out holiday cheer one slice at a time.

Charlie Peterka of Charlie's Pizza expects to feed as many as 500 people free pizza, soup and desserts on Thursday in what has become an annual tradition. The St. Cloud Times reports that this is the fourth year of free Christmas pizza.

Peterka started the giveaway as a way to honor his daughter who died seven years ago during the holiday season. He's also been collecting hundreds of toys from local business and community members to give away.

This year he's hobbling around the kitchen after recently breaking his ankle. He went ahead anyway because, in his words, "there's nothing better than seeing people go away with a full tummy."

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.