From “scrawny” kid who was bullied to a record-breaking 16-time WWE World Champion to bonafide movie star — it seems there’s nothingJohn Cenacan’t and won’t do.
Now, Cena can add prolific wish-granter to his flourishing list of accomplishments. The wrestler turned actor has helped make the dreams of more than 600 kids come true forMake-A-Wish, a non-profit organization that helps grant life-changing wishes for children fighting critical illnesses.
Rich Freeda
“My first Make-A-Wish, I was kind of shuffled — it wasn’t for me, I think the person wanted to meet another superstar,” Cena, 42, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “But the WWE does a great job of like, ‘Hey, there’s a Make-A-Wish kid in this room. Can you come say hello?’ So, a bunch of people are shuttled in to say hello to a young fan of WWE.”
“So, we’re shuttled in and said my hellos and took my pictures and then left. And they’re like, ‘Thank you, Make-A-Wish thanks you.’ I was like, ‘What is Make-A-Wish?’” Cena continued.
Once theTrainwreckstar was made aware of what the foundation stood for, he went out of his way to prioritize charity work above all else in the future.
“I said, ‘If you ever need me for this ever, I don’t care what I’m doing, I will drop what I’m doing and be involved because I think that’s the coolest thing,’” Cena explained. “We’ve all experienced that joy of giving a gift for the holidays where you just nail it — that’s the same gift I get in giving back to people’s lives, in being able to give them wonderful emotional moments.”
Last December, the wrestler and Hailee Steinfeld teamed up with Make-A-Wish tolight up the Empire State Building yellowin honor of their movieBumblebee,as well as to commemorate his dedication to brightening children’s lives.
Doane Gregory
In his upcoming moviePlaying with Fire, Cena plays a smokejumper (specialized firefighter) named Jake Carson, who leads a small team of men in a fire depot based in Redding, California. Despite their everyday challenges at work, he and his colleagues are put to the ultimate test when they assume responsibility of three orphaned siblings during a heavy storm in the woods.
“It’s really special that we were able to take a movie and tie it into a charity,” the WWE champion said. “We’ve had numerous instances where we can tie relevance and awareness around first responders to get possibly more funding for their departments around a movie that’s a family comedy kind of loosely based on firefighters.”
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“The fact that I essentially play dress up for a living and can still be a force in providing hope and happiness for children and families? That’s extra, extra special,” Cena tells PEOPLE. “You can learn from any and every situation. I learned from every single child I meet and their families as well. It’s incredibly rewarding.”
And with every wish, theBlockersstar commits to it.
“If you were given one wish, what would you do with it? I don’t know if ‘Hang out with John Cena’ would be at the top of my list,” Cena says. “But the fact that that is on someone’s list is the coolest thing. So, I approach it with that attitude — like this is fantastic, let’s make this wonderful.”
Playing with Fireopens in theaters November 8.
source: people.com
