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How Associations Are Prepping for the Holiday Break

Ready for the holiday break? You’re not alone on that front—a number of associations have been getting things ready, too, especially for Santa. Here’s what they’re doing, in ways both whimsical and practical.

Between Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve, and every other holiday closing out the year, there’s a lot to keep the public busy in the closing weeks of the year, and associations are in the same boat.

They’re worried about Santa Claus just as much as you are, obviously.

A few ways that associations large and small are getting ready for the holidays:

Checking in on the reindeer. For years, the American Veterinary Medical Association has helped ensure Santa’s reindeer were ready for flight by examining them and giving them a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI)—clearing them for the long journey. The task of ensuring they’re ready to go generally falls to the group’s president—this year, Dr. Mike Topper. Curious how the process works? Check out our 2015 piece on how the vet association helps out.

Keeping Santa on track. It’s not just NORAD that helps ensure that Santa keeps on schedule. The International Santa Trackers Association helps organize holiday trackers around the world to make sure that Santa doesn’t run into any mishaps. The group redesigned its website last year, ensuring that certified trackers from places as far-flung as Kiribati (a country made up of an array of more than 30 islands in the Pacific Ocean), Alaska, and Australia would have a central hub ahead of the big day.

Offering a sweet take on the holidays. Did you know that candy canes used to only come in a single color—and that color wasn’t red? And that their production wasn’t automated until the 1950s? The National Confectioners Association does—and on its website, it has a whole bunch of history on the candies that make Christmas, Hanukkah, and other holidays just a little bit sweeter.

Highlighting the importance of on-the-road safety. The American Trucking Associations knows all about the dangers of driving in the snowy parts of winter. Fortunately, ATA has an array of members who are particularly good at handling the risks on the highways and byways. The group designates them as captains of its Road Team, and this week it had the truckers offer tips on how to stay safe on the road when there’s a little snow on the ground. Another way to put it: They’re making sure Santa has a safe path to your house, too. “As a truck driver, I am one of the last people out on the road helping Santa with his presents during the holiday season,” said America’s Road Team Captain Tim Melody, of ABF Freight Systems, in a news release. “Having an informed motoring public that understands and adjusts to the hazards of winter driving makes my job easier.” The release recommends a variety of tips for travelers, no matter what vehicle they’re in.

(Wavebreakmedia/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Ernie Smith

By Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. MORE

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