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Heartwarming reason why Arnold Schwarzenegger hands out gifts at LA youth centre every Christmas: ‘I felt so included…’
‘There is a reason I have been handing out presents at the @hollenbeckyouthcenter in Boyle Heights for over 30 years,’ Arnold Schwarzenegger said on Instagram
A viral video shows Arnold Schwarzenegger distributing Christmas gifts at the Hollenbeck Youth Center – a yearly tradition for the actor. The 76-year-old has revealed that the tradition was inspired by the first Christmas he spent in the United States as an immigrant.
“There is a reason I have been handing out presents at the @hollenbeckyouthcenter in Boyle Heights for over 30 years. When I first came to America, my friends at Gold’s Gym were so generous. They brought me in during Christmas time and made me feel so happy and included. I love being able to give back and see the smile on the kids’ faces when they get their gifts,” Arnold captioned the video on Instagram, adding, “Merry Christmas!”
Arnold opened up more about his experience in the video, saying, “They gave me Christmas gifts, they had this beautiful Christmas tree and I felt so included here in America, even though I was a foreigner, I just came to this country.”
“I will never forget that kind of sweetness and kindness and inclusion, so I wanted to do the same thing when I had the money,” he continued. “So this is why for the last 30-something years I’ve been coming out here. … It makes me feel good that I can share the kindness and inspire other people to do the same thing.”
The video shows the actor handing out Christmas gifts to local visitors including families and children. He spoke with them and posed for photos.
Meanwhile, it was reported last month that Arnoldis being sued after allegedly hitting a bicyclist with his SUV. The incident took place in West Los Angeles in February this year, TMZ reported.
Joanne Flickinger, the woman who was riding the bike, swerved into Schwarzenegger’s lane, sources said. This reportedly led to the accident.
