The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) tracks everything that flies in and around North America in defense of the United States and Canada. Each December 24, it has the special mission of also tracking Santa Claus. NORAD began tracking Santa in 1955 when a young girl mistakenly dialed the unlisted phone number of the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, believing she was calling Santa Claus after seeing a promotion in a local newspaper. U.S. Air Force Col. Harry Shoup, the commander on duty that night, realized a mistake had been made, and assured the little girl that CONAD would guarantee Santa a safe journey from the North Pole. A tradition was born and NORAD continued tracking the jolly old elf and his reindeer when it came to be in 1958. Each year since, NORAD reports Santa's location on December 24 to millions of children. NORAD Tracks Santa is one of the Department of Defense's largest community outreach programs. The NORAD Tracks Santa website receives nearly 15 million visitors from more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Volunteers answer more than 130,000 calls to the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline from children worldwide.
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