Nine children received updates on Santa Claus’ whereabouts via telephone calls from first lady Michelle Obama in Honolulu this morning.

The first lady spent about 30 minutes answering calls from children and providing updates on Santa’s whereabouts as part of the NORAD Tracks Santa program. She spoke to nine children, ranging in age from three years old to nine years old, and spanning North America, from Kansas City to Ontario, Canada.

The NORAD Tracks Santa program began in 1955 after a phone call was made to the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The call was from a local youngster who dialed a misprinted telephone number in a local newspaper advertisement.

The commander on duty who answered the phone that night gave the youngster Santa’s whereabouts. This began the tradition of tracking Santa, a tradition that was carried on by NORAD when it was formed in 1958.

The NORAD Tracks Santa program has grown immensely since first presented on the Internet in 1998. The website receives millions of unique visitors from hundreds of countries and territories around the world. In addition, a live Operations Center is occupied for 25 hours with more than 1,200 volunteers each year who receive hundreds of thousands of phone calls and emails from families around the world.

This is the fourth time the first lady has participated in the Christmas Eve tradition. 

In other Obama news, President Barack Obama took in 45 minutes at the gym this morning. He has golf on the agenda once again with his friends Bobby Titcomb, Mike Ramos, Marvin Nicholson, Eric Whitaker, Sam Kass and Reggie Love. 

The White House press reporters say they’re “feeling the holiday spirit” at the food court of the Mokapu Mall while waiting for the president this morning. 

Photo courtesy of the White House

— Gene Park