SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A San Diego company is making Santa Claus more inclusive and bringing holiday cheer to kids all over the world.
For nearly a decade, Interpreters Unlimited has helped NORAD translate its "Track Santa" website into seven different languages. They also have volunteers answer phone calls on Christmas Eve for people who speak Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Japanese, and Chinese.
"It's the inclusivity of reaching out and touching those individuals that wouldn't have access to this," says Shamus Sayed, the VP of Interpreters Unlimited. "You can hear it. You can see it, but now that you can fully comprehend it, it makes it a bit more real."
"I would say it's a global good," adds 1st Lt. Sean Carter, the Program Manager for NORAD Tracks Santa. "It's heartwarming, honestly, the fact that we continue to expand these exciting new ways we're able to reach a wider audience than ever before. I think that that's honestly the spirit of the program."
Last year, Interpreters Unlimited answered around 1,000 calls in non-English languages for the program. Both NORAD and the company say they hope to expand it to more languages in the future.
"Santa Claus is not owned by a single entity," says Lt. Carter. "That's a pop culture phenomenon that transcends borders, that transcends the US, and that transcends the English language."
"If someone was able to wake up with a brighter smile and be a little bit happier knowing they knew where Santa was delivering their gifts, that's a nice feeling," says Sayed.
You can follow Santa's progress on Christmas Eve at this link: https://www.noradsanta.org/en/.
