WEBVTT

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Uh , typically we take Santa on the

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road and um we go and visit people in

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their community . This time it was an

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opportunity to welcome them as

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neighbors here in Anchorage . Um , we

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are so grateful for the Alaska Native

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Heritage Center . Hosting the event

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today and um the great partnership with

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the National Guard uh and all of the

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other folks who made this really a

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welcoming place for people to come and

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especially during the holidays family

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is so important um and to have a chance

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to come . I saw today so many people

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hugging um their family or friends who

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maybe they haven't seen um since they

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have been here regularly so uh it was

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just a terrific day .

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We had an amazing team who came

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together just on Tuesday night . We had

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a list of what we thought we might need ,

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um , and we had more than 50 volunteers

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who showed up . And we got every

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present wrapped and all of the stocking

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stuffer bags packed and everything

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ready to bring here today . So , uh ,

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you know , it really is a true team

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effort . Uh , even our partners with

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FEMA have been stepping up , uh , and

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our state EMAC partners who are here

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working on the disaster , uh , just

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because everybody really wants to

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embrace these families and just , um ,

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make sure that they have support and

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that they feel welcome , they feel part

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of a community that isn't their own .

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Um , so , um , just having the chance

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to visit with the kids , um , and learn

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a little bit about what life is like

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for them here today , um , and to hand

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them a present , get them to see Santa ,

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get a picture taken , uh , you know ,

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it just maybe hopefully alleviated some

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of the burden , um , that their

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families are experiencing . Uh , our

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hope was to give them a little bit of

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Christmas joy . The Salvation

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Army has been part of the Operation

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Santa Project for about 55 years , um ,

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so not quite the beginning of the

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program , but , um , it's part of our

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tradition and our , our , um , DNA at

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the Salvation Army is to participate in

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Operation Santa , uh , just because we

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know the importance it is , um , to

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people who oftentimes live in isolated

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communities , um , and in Anchorage it

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may be no . Different for families that

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are here , um , so to be here and to

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celebrate , uh , you know , one of my

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favorite parts about UPS Santa besides

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the babies and , and the kids coming to

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visit Santa is when the elders go and

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they get their pictures taken because

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you know what Santa is Santa for

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everybody , right ? There are no age

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barriers and , um , so you know to just

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see the smiles on their face , um ,

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just really made the whole day

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worthwhile .