Partners and Corporate Sponsors

Overview
The NORAD Tracks Santa (NTS) program has been around for a long time…since 1955 to be exact! And while NORAD has the history and the necessary technology to track Santa, the NTS program spends only minimal government funds.

So, how do we do it? The NTS program is funded through generous contributions from our partners. Everything from computer servers, web site design, video imaging, Santa’s tracking map, and telecom services are donated by partner companies and individual sponsors.

Without our sponsors generosity, the NTS program would not be possible. NORAD would like to thank each and every one of our partners for their terrific support.

The NTS program is managed by the NORAD and the United States Northern Command Public Affairs Office at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.

The roster of partners for the NORAD Tracks Santa program has changed over the years with changes in technologies and their associated marketplaces, along with changes in organizations as to their being able and willing to commit to a successful sponsorship and partnership with the NORAD Tracks Santa program for a particular year. NORAD Tracks Santa partners include a variety of large (including international) organizations and local to Colorado based organizations. Typically work on the part of NORAD and their partners starts before the summer in order to be ready by December. All the organizations and volunteers who help make this global NORAD Tracks Santa program possible do so at no cost to the American and Canadian taxpayers.

History
In 2011, returning partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included Google, Booz Allen Hamilton, Globelink - Foreign Language Center, Air Canada, Verizon, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, Colorado Springs School District 11, PCI Broadband , Naturally Santa Inc. , First Choice Awards and Gifts , AGI (Analytical Graphics, Inc.), Avaya, Toys for Tots, Meshbox , OnStar by GM, tw telecom, the Newseum, Xtomic , the U.S. Air Force Academy Band , the U.S. Defense Video &amp; Imagery Distribution System, the Canadian Naden Band of the Maritime Forces Pacific , and the Space Foundation.

New partners in 2011 included: Acuity Scheduling, Big Fish Worldwide , Carousel Industries , the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Council , General Electric, the National Tree Lighting Ceremony, RadiantBlue Technologies Inc. , thunderbaby studios , the U.S. Coast Guard Band , the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Band , Visionbox , and the West Point Band , and UGroup Media.

Video of representatives from the NORAD Tracks Santa program and some of the partners from Google, Booz Allen Hamilton and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, who help sponsor the NORAD Tracks Santa Program, joined together at the NYSE alongside the one and only Santa from Macy’s to get people geared up to track Santa as he makes his yuletide journey. In honor of the occasion, they rang The Closing Bell on Dec. 20, 2010.

In 2010, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included Google, Booz Allen Hamilton, Globelink - Foreign Language Center, Air Canada, Verizon, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, Colorado Springs School District 11, PCI Broadband, Naturally Santa Inc. , First Choice Awards and Gifts, UTDi (Unified TelData, Inc.) , AGI (Analytical Graphics, Inc.), Avaya, Toys for Tots, Meshbox, Santa's Traveling Workshop , OnStar by GM, AFBA's (Armed Forces Benefit Association) 5Star Bank , tw telecom, the Newseum, and Xtomic. Booz Allen Hamilton (a major supporter of both the NORAD Tracks Santa Program and the Toys for Tots campaigns), help facilitate Toys for Tots becoming a corporate sponsor of the NORAD Tracks Santa Program.

In 2009, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included Google, Booz Allen Hamilton, Globelink - Foreign Language Center, Meshbox, Verizon, GE, tw telecom, PCI Broadband, Naturally Santa Inc., First Choice Awards and Gifts, Concept3D, AGI (Analytical Graphics, Inc.), Avaya, OnStar by GM, Santa's Traveling Workshop, General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, KRDO-TV's News Channel 13, and AFBA's (Armed Forces Benefit Association) 5Star Bank. 

In 2008, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included Google, Booz Allen Hamilton, Meshbox, Verizon, Globelink - Foreign Language Center, Canada Post (Canada's Post Office), Qwest, PCI Broadband, Naturally Santa Inc., First Choice Awards and Gifts, Concept3D, AGI (Analytical Graphics, Inc.), Avaya, and AFBA's (Armed Forces Benefit Association) 5Star Bank.

In 2007, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included Google, Booz Allen Hamilton, AGI (Analytical Graphics, Inc.), Verizon, Official Santa Mail, Globelink - Foreign Language Center, Qwest, Avaya, Plantronics , First Choice Awards and Gifts, Meshbox, Northpole Santa's Workshop , and e Frontier (now part of Smith Micro).

On June 19, 2007, the partners in the NORAD Tracks Santa program came to NORAD headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, to begin preparing for the 2007 NORAD Tracks Santa holiday season. NORAD Tracks Santa corporate sponsors donate services ranging from web design and internet servers to animation artwork, language interpretation and Santa's mail service. Attending were, left to right, Technical Sergeant John Lobato (United States Air Force) of NORAD and USNORTHCOM Public Affairs; Peter Hope and Sherilyn Whiting of Booz Allen Hamilton; Fadia Gnoske of Globelink Culture Center; Kim Gerber of Booz Allen Hamilton; Cindy Kersey of Official Santa Mail; Melissa Crounse of Google; Air Force Major Stacia Reddish, NORAD Tracks Santa project officer (“Chief Santa Tracker”); Joanne Welsh of Analytical Graphics Inc.; and Diana Kersey of Official Santa Mail.

In 2006, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included Island Web Studios, AOL (America Online), Globelink - Foreign Language Center, AGI (Analytical Graphics, Inc.), Microsoft's Windows Live Local with Virtual Earth, Akamai, Verizon, Meshbox, Official Santa Mail, the Macerich Company, and the Mike Herman Family.

In 2005, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included Island Web Studios, AOL (America Online), AGI (Analytical Graphics, Inc.), Microsoft's Windows Live Local with Virtual Earth, ICG Communications (now part of Level 3 Communications), Globelink - Foreign Language Center, ClearCube, MCI, Meshbox, Official Santa Mail, and the Macerich Company.

In 2004, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included Analytical Graphics, Inc., America Online, Inc., 24-7 Web Studio (renamed from Etheriel Web Publications), Globelink International Services, MCI, Akamai, ClearCube, and ICG Communications (now part of Level 3 Communications).

In 2003, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included Analytical Graphics, Inc., America Online, Inc., Etheriel Web Publications, Globelink International Services, Ampersand Creative , and MCI.

In 2002, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included America Online, Inc., Analytical Graphics, Inc., Globelink International Services, Etheriel Web Publications, Ampersand Creative, and WorldCom (then became MCI again until Verizon purchased in 2005).

In 2001, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included America Online, Inc., Analytical Graphics, Inc., Globelink International Services, and Etheriel Web Publications.

In 2000, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included America Online, Inc., Analytical Graphics, Inc., Globelink International Services, and Tobey & Company.

In 1999, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included IBM, Analytical Graphics, Inc., and Globelink International Services.

In 1998, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included IBM, Analytical Graphics, Inc., and Globelink International Services.

In 1997, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included Analytical Graphics, Inc. and MicroServe Information Systems (now PenTelData).

From 1998 to the present, the NORAD Tracks Santa Website of www.noradsanta.org and the domain name of noradsanta.org have been registered to Analytical Graphics, Inc., with website hosting since 2007 performed by Google.

Other Partners
In addition to the NORAD Tracks Santa partners listed at the NORAD Tracks Santa website and mentioned in NORAD Public Affairs press releases, numerous other organizations and corporations assisted in mounting the NORAD Santa Tracking program over the years, among them Rocky Mountain PBS, Citadel Mall, the 721st Security Forces Squadron, the 721st Communications Squadron and several hotels, including the Sheraton, Embassy Suites, Radisson, and The Broadmoor. For example, from November 18 thru December 25, 2005, for the 50th anniversary of the NORAD Tracks Santa program, the Citadel Mall (owned by The Macerich Company from 1997 thru 2006) had a massive Santa Tracking Village that included a 25-foot tree, a tracking map and viewfinder where children and the young at heart could watch a NORAD Tracks Santa video, hear audio messages of peace from children around the world, and receive a 24-page coloring book with Santa's assistants wearing NORAD patches. All the U.S. military services and components (Active, National Guard, and Reserve) have supported the NORAD Tracks Santa program over the years, either in terms of publicity, or in the case of the Northeast Air Defense Sector of the New York Air National Guard or the U.S. Naval Reserve Navy Information Bureau (NIB) 1118 at Fort Carson, Colorado, direct support of the NORAD Tracks Santa program. Other U.S. federal agencies, such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), have supported the NORAD Tracks Santa program over the years with publicity and satellite tracking support. See article NOAA Helps NORAD Track Santa for more information.

The Canadian Forces have been equally supportive of the NORAD Tracks Santa program. See article Canadian NORAD Region and the Canadian Contributions to the NORAD Tracks Santa Program for more information.



During December from 1998 thru 2008, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center hosted a competing Santa tracker on one its webpages. See article NASA Tracks Santa for more information. NASA is also interested in tracking Santa, when later in the 21st Century, Santa will be delivering presents throughout the entire solar system.

Starting with the 2007 NORAD Tracking Santa season, the NORAD Tracks Santa program received recognition from the Space Foundation with their "seal of approval" under their Space Certification Program as a Corporate Patron Level Partner in the Certified Imagination Product Category, for having increased interest in and excitement for space by children and the young at heart world-wide. NORAD and the NORAD Tracks Santa Program were cited specifically by the Space Foundation as follows, "NORAD uses four high-tech systems to track Santa - radar, satellites, Santa Cams and jet fighter aircraft. Not only do these systems utilize a variety of technologies developed for the space program, but the tradition of tracking Santa's progress itself inspires children around the world to think about how space technology and exploration play an increasingly important role in our daily lives."