Those who protect and serve the community each day will be treated to Tops in Pizza on Christmas Day.
Around 50 extra-large pizzas will be provided to paramedics, firefighters, police officers, 911 dispatchers, and Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital staff.
"Any time we need them, they are there for us," said Tops co-owner Toni Marinakos. "That's why it's necessary to be there for them on Christmas when there is nothing else open."
Tops has been providing free meals to first responders on Christmas Day since 1991.
"We need our first responders," Marinakos said. "They are our family, and we want to spend Christmas with them."
Marinakos says it makes her feel good to give back to first responders each year during the season of giving.
"It means a lot to us to give on Christmas Day," she said. "When we do this, it comes from the heart."
For new co-owner Laura Martin, this is her first year partaking in the Tops in Pizza Christmas Day tradition.
"I have friends who are nurses and police officers," she said. "I know they appreciate this because they can't be at home with their families."
When the day comes for Martin to become the sole owner of the business, she vows to continue the Christmas Day tradition.
"I know this is something that is close and important to Toni," she said. "Hopefully, even when she's retired, she will always be a part of this."
Grant Geldenhuys, a member of the community mobilization unit for the Ontario Provincial Police, says he considers the staff at Tops in Pizza family because of all they do for first responders.
"Tops has been an integral part of our community for the better part of three decades," he said. "We absolutely love them and we at the Orillia OPP are very grateful for all that they do."
Geldenhuys, a police officer of 16 years, says the Christmas Day pizza giveaway reflects the giving spirit that Marinakos and Martin have throughout the year.
"They have been resolute in hard work and sacrifice," he said. "They know the importance of family and community, and this showcases that."
Kayla Casey, a primary care paramedic with Rama Paramedic Services, says it's nice to be recognized for working during the holidays.
"We don't have the choice to spend Christmas without families," she said. "We are there to serve the community and it's nice to have a little gesture of kindness."
Casey, a paramedic for 17 years, says having Tops on Christmas Day is a reminder that first responders aren't forgotten and are well appreciated by the community.
In the past, Tops was open to the general public on Christmas Day, but that is no longer the case.
