Tom Hanks, Kristen Bell, Simone Biles and more came together to salute military families in the US at the weekend.

Tom Hanks and more surprise kids of veterans

Tom Hanks and more surprise kids of veterans

Gary Sinise - who starred as Lieutenant Dan Taylor in 'Forrest Gump' - once again invited his co-star from the 1994 rom-com classic, plus the 'Frozen' star, and the 24-year-old Olympian respectively, to his virtual Snowball Express fundraiser to send children who have lost parents in battle special messages this festive season to lift their spirits.

Usually the youngsters would join A-listers at the Walt Disney World Resort for some Yuletide fun, but the Gary Sinise Foundation - a cognitive health and mental wellness network providing transformative care to veterans - had to axe the in-person function due to COVID-19.

Tom, 65, was joined by his 'Toy Story' co-star Tim Allen, 68, and the Hollywood stars sent the kids a message as their characters Woody and Buzz from the Disney blockbuster franchise.

Norman Reedus, Gordon Ramsay, Brett Goldstein also surprised the kids, while Bindi and Robert Irwin - the offspring of the late 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin - gave the children a behind-the-scenes tour of their Australia Zoo in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

Gary told 'Entertainment Tonight': "The primary heartbeat of the Gary Sinise Foundation is lifting people up and bringing them joy and support and making sure that they know they're appreciated, and that we're grateful for them and that we don't forget what we're going through.

"So that's a good feeling to be able to do that."

Gary grew up in a family of veterans and between 2011 and 2019, the Gary Sinise Foundation raised $194 million for wounded veterans, first responders, and their families.

In 2020, Angelina Jolie was among the stars to surprise the kids and send them a message of support.

The 'Maleficent' star, 46, told them: "We owe so much to military families, more than we even know, so I am deeply grateful and thankful to all of you."