Jolly old Saint Nick himself took time out of his busy schedule today to hand out gifts to more than two dozen kids at a local hospital.

Santa Claus visited about 25 to 30 kids this morning at Sutton Children's Hospital in Shreveport.

He spread cheer while handing out presents to patients and their siblings.

Santa says he's done this year after year to give back.

"This is why we do it - to keep these traditions going on. This is what we were founded on and in all the turmoil and everything, this is one thing we want to keep constant."

"You see a lot of smile and a lot of tears, but it's not tears of 'Man, we're stuck here in the hospital.' It turns into tears of joy because they've seen Santa Claus. And it ends up being one of the better Christmases that a lot of them ever have," says Shawn Brasher, with Sutton Children's Hospital.

This is the first time since the hospital started the Santa visits seven years ago that Saint Nick went room to room.

In the past, they held one big party in the lobby. This time, the children were too sick for a big get-together.