Children from all over world will not get a response from the jolly old elf from the North Pole this year.
The United States Postal Service has for decided Thurs abandon its service Dear Santa this holiday season. The program has been forwarded Letters To volunteers in North Pole, Alaska since 1954.
The Postal Service cites privacy concerns as the reason for canceling the 55 year old volunteer-driven service. Officials became alarmed when a postal worker, Maryland Dear Santa recognized a volunteer as a registered sex offender.
Even though North Pole Mayor Doug Isaacson acknowledges The importance of protecting children's privacy, he does not believe the indiscretions of a sex offender on the other side of the country should shut down the entire program.
"It's Grinchlike that the Postal Service never informed all the little elves before the fact," he said in an interview with the AP. "They've been working on this for how long?"
Pamela Moody, an agency spokeswoman in Anchorage, told The AP, "It's always been a good program, but we're in different times and concerned for the privacy of the information."
Additionally, Moody stated that kids around the world can still send letters to Santa. The Postal Service is still running under the Operation Santa Program that provides responses to children's letters to Santa Claus and private institutions still have Freedom to operate their own programs.
One thing is certain, letters addressed "Santa Claus, North Pole" will no longer be forwarded to the small Alaskan town unless a policy change is made by the holiday season, leaving the nearly 2.100 inhabitants extremely disappointed.
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