Michelle Obama Helps Track Santa's Path on Christmas Eve

Dec. 24, 2010— --

As children across the world wait for a visit from Santa Claus this evening, First Lady Michelle Obama will help track Santa's path as part of the North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) Command annual tradition for children.

The First Lady's office says that Mrs. Obama will surprise children callers from across America by answering calls for the "Tracks Santa" program, run by NORAD since 1958 – first exclusively by phone and then on the internet starting in 1998.

When NORAD receives a call from a child they will direct them to Mrs. Obama. When she is asked for Santa's location she will consult the NORAD Santa Route Schedule to answer the child caller's query.

The website receives millions of hits and the live Operations Center is staffed by 1,200 volunteers each year in the lead-up to Christmas morning.

The First Lady's office would not say whether First tweens Malia and Sasha are themselves tracking Santa, from the Kailua, Hawaii beach house they will celebrate Christmas morning in tomorrow.