Arnold Schwarzenegger is continuing one of his favorite Christmas traditions. The beloved actor and politician kicked off the holidays early with a visit to the Hollenbeck Youth Center, where he wore his most Christmassy outfit and delivered presents to children.
Schwarzenegger attended the 44th annual "Miracle on 1st Street" Christmas Toy Giveaway, one of the largest giveaways in Los Angeles, where underprivileged kids receive toys, school supplies, and more.
Schwarzenegger has been attending the event for the past three decades. This time around, he wore a colorful button-up shirt with a print of the US flag and a large Santa Claus on the chest and stomach.
He took photos with different children and event organizers, smiling brightly for the cameras.
"My three-decade tradition - donating toys and playing Santa at @hollenbeckyouthcenter. The giving feels so much better than the gifts at Christmas," he wrote on an Instagram post.
"This holiday season, you all have a great opportunity to add a little light to someone’s life. Whether it’s donating toys or food or just showing kindness, use your power."
Schwarzenegger's desire to help others
Throughout his career and life, Schwarzenegger has explored and found success in many passions, among them bodybuilding, acting, and politics. In an interview with GQ about the topic of masculinity, he shared his desire to serve others as one of his driving forces, especially as he's aged.
"And then in my mid-fifties, I started looking through a different lens again, where all of a sudden you want to be more available for service to serve people. When everyone knows you around the world, then all of a sudden you get to meet people that are talking about public policy and they talk about helping people and about having an impact on people and our responsibility to leave this a better world and we inherited it," he said.
"You look at everything totally differently again, because now you get overwhelmed with all of the problems. So I think I was so fortunate that I never was stuck in one way of thinking."
Schwarzenegger is passionate about many causes, like bringing toys and necessities to children, or serving the Veteran community on Veteran's Day.
"Some of the greatest joy in life comes from one simple thing: helping someone else," reads the caption of a recent post shared by Schwarzenegger's workout service, Arnold's Pump Club. "A smile. A kind question. Carrying someone’s groceries. Choosing not to add more negativity into the world. These small choices add more light than you realize."