Blizzard fails to derail NORAD Tracks Santa operations

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PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFPN) --  Despite being pounded by the holiday blizzard of 2006, North American Aerospace Defense Command remains on alert for the nation and ready to track Santa Claus, according to NORAD officials.

"NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center is schedule to begin operations as scheduled at 2 a.m. Christmas Eve," said Michael Perini, director of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command Public Affairs.

More than 800 Santa tracking volunteers will cycle through the center answering telephone calls and e-mails from children around the world wanting to get a fix on Santa Claus' whereabouts.

"In 2005, the volunteers at the operations center received 563,452 telephone calls and 103,156 emails from children around the world," Mr. Perini said.

The NORAD Tracks Santa Web site, www.noradsanta.org, went live Nov. 17 and has already garnered an amazing 48,695,357 page views. Last year the site received 907,958,865 page views from 204 countries and territories around the world.

Beginning at 2:00 a.m. MST on Dec. 24, the Web site will provide minute-by-minute updates on Santa's journey around the world.

A toll free number is also available at (877) 446-6723 for children to call and personally speak to a Santa tracker on Christmas Eve.

(Courtesy North American Aerospace Defense Command)

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