SAN DIEGO, December 13, 2022 — Every December as most of the world gears up for Christmas, decorating their homes, shopping for gifts and planning get togethers with family and friends, Interpreters Unlimited gears up to help NORAD with their annual NORAD Tracks Santa Program. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) tracks Santa every year on Christmas Eve using a variety of methods including radar, satellites, and American and Canadian fighter jets. The program is offered in different languages, powered by Interpreters Unlimited, so that people from all over the world can track Santa’s journey around the world on Christmas Eve.
NORAD is a joint United States-Canadian organization with a mission of safeguarding the skies 365 days a year, and tracking Santa that one special day a year. This tradition started in 1955 when a newspaper ad directed children to call Santa on a hotline, but the phone number was misprinted and instead connected them to NORAD’s predecessor, Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD). NORAD kept the tradition alive and since then has used their state-of-the-art technology to track Santa as he makes his way around the world.
As a partner to NORAD Tracks Santa, Interpreters Unlimited provides their website with pro bono translation in 7 languages along with supplying Santa Cam voiceover support for the Santa Tracker Phone Hotline. Not only do language services make the program more accessible, but it also helps to create a more inclusive community around it. Every year, NORAD receives tens of thousands of phone calls from people all over the world asking for Santa’s whereabouts, in addition, their website receives millions of visitors from all over the globe. By providing this service, NORAD helps to bring people of all cultures and religions together in the spirit of Christmas, and Interpreters Unlimited plays a vital role for the Non-English Speaking children throughout the US and internationally.
In 2021, NORAD Tracks Santa answered over 53,000 phone calls, had over 14 million website visitors and almost 3 million video views. The service is also available through Alexa and OnStar, where they had almost 9 million Alexa requests and more than 44,000 OnStar requests last year. Users of both services can receive updates on Santa’s location on Dec 24th as well as learn fun facts and play holiday music.
Offering the program in English plus 7 other languages is not only convenient for users, but it also helps to promote goodwill and international understanding. Promoting global unity, people of all ages and from all corners of the world can come together and track Santa’s journey. This is a great way to remind people of the commonalities we share, despite our differences. It is also a learning experience as tracking Santa can help teach kids about technology and geography, they can learn about different time zones and how to use various tracking tools, and it helps to educate children (and adults) about the work that NORAD does.
Interpreters Unlimited is extremely happy to play a part alongside NORAD making memories, helping to bring Christmas spirit, spreading holiday joy and cheer to millions of children year after year. So next time you’re wondering where Santa is on Christmas Eve, be sure to check in with NORAD.
The NORAD Tracks Santa interactive website with Christmas music, games, and other holiday activities can be accessed all December at www.noradsanta.org. On Dec. 24th, users can call 1-877-HiNORAD (1-877-446-6723) for Santa’s up-to-date location.
For more information about Interpreters Unlimited, Inc., please email us below or call 800-726-9891.
Image by NORAD
About Interpreters Unlimited, Inc.
The IU Group of companies include: Interpreters Unlimited, Accessible Communication for the Deaf, Albors & Alnet, Arkansas Spanish Interpreters and Translators, and IU GlobeLink, LLC, and are headquartered in San Diego, California as a minority-owned company. IU Group is committed to providing equal opportunity in the work environment with its diverse team to aid in supplying linguistic and cultural interpretation services to clients. A combined 70 years in the industry has demonstrated a surplus of leadership and best practices, which has helped establish its respected role in the language services community. Its services include spoken translation, document translation and non-emergency medical transportation.
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]]>SAN DIEGO, March 25, 2022 — Interpreters Unlimited (IU) is happy to have had a segment air on the award winning Newsy Network on Thursday, March 24, 2022. IU Vice President Shamus Sayed was interviewed by Chance Seals, on his primetime news program “Newsy Tonight with Chance Seales”. The interview focused on the assistance IU is providing for Ukrainians during the current attacks on their country. IU hopes that this and other media coverage can help spread the word resulting in more people receiving assistance, and possibly encouraging more people/organizations to get involved providing any kind of aid and relief that they can.
The Newsy Channel is an opinion-free network and billed as the country’s only free, 24/7 over-the-air news network. The channel available on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, most Smart TV’s, Pluto, Sling and many more. Find out where to watch here: https://www.newsy.com/where-to-watch/
If you are interested in assisting, are currently involved in Ukrainian relief efforts, or can connect IU with those Ukrainians in critical need of languages services please contact them via www.interpreters.com or email [email protected].
About Interpreters Unlimited, Inc.
The IU Group of companies include: Interpreters Unlimited, Accessible Communication for the Deaf, Albors & Alnet, Arkansas Spanish Interpreters and Translators, and IU GlobeLink, LLC, and are headquartered in San Diego, California as a minority-owned company. IU Group is committed to providing equal opportunity in the work environment with its diverse team to aid in supplying linguistic and cultural interpretation services to clients. A combined 70 years in the industry has demonstrated a surplus of leadership and best practices, which has helped establish its respected role in the language services community. Its services include spoken translation, document translation and non-emergency medical transportation.
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SAN DIEGO, December 21, 2021 — At Interpreters Unlimited, as a partner to NORAD, we help bring Santa Tracker to Non-English Speaking children worldwide. One of the companies under the IU Group umbrella, iu GlobeLink, LLC, has been providing pro bono language support for the annual NORAD Tracks Santa Program for almost 15 years. IU provides their website translation in 7 languages as well as Santa Cam voiceover support for their Santa Tracker Phone Hotline.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is a binational, US and Canada Command, responsible for defending North America. Their duties include aerospace and maritime warning and aerospace control of North America as well as the monitoring of global aerospace activity…and tracking Santa every year on December 24th.
The NORAD Tracks Santa Program is the Department of Defense’s largest outreach program and a great tradition. By providing language support for this program, Interpreters Unlimited helps NORAD expand their program to so many Non English Speaking children in the US as well as globally. It is also one of IU’s farthest reaching philanthropic projects and a great institution to be a part of.
NORAD explains that they first got involved in 1955 when an advertisement offered children an opportunity to call Santa but the number was misdialed. Rather than reaching Santa, the phone number led to the on-duty crew commander at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center, NORAD’s predecessor. The rest is history.
The NORAD Tracks Santa website can be found at www.noradsanta.org. On Dec. 24th, users may call or text 1-877-HiNORAD for Santa’s up-to-date location.
For more information about Interpreters Unlimited, Inc., please visit www.interpreters.com or call 800-726-9891.
About Interpreters Unlimited, Inc.
The IU Group of companies include: Interpreters Unlimited, Accessible Communication for the Deaf, Albors & Alnet, Arkansas Spanish Interpreters and Translators, and IU GlobeLink, LLC, and are headquartered in San Diego, California as a minority-owned company. IU Group is committed to providing equal opportunity in the work environment with its diverse team to aid in supplying linguistic and cultural interpretation services to clients. A combined 70 years in the industry has demonstrated a surplus of leadership and best practices, which has helped establish its respected role in the language services community. Its services include spoken translation, document translation and non-emergency medical transportation.
Follow us on Social Media: LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram
[contact-form-7]The post IU Helps Bring Santa Tracker to Non-English Speaking Children Worldwide appeared first on Interpreters Unlimited.
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