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Santa's helpers at the post office make sure every child's letter makes it to the North Pole

Every child who sends a message to Santa gets one back from the big man in red.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — With one week left until Christmas, Santa's helpers at the post office are busy getting letters to and from the North Pole.

Every child who sends a message to Santa gets one back from the big man in red.

Kepler Colwell is a 7-year-old first grader from Knoxville who, like many kids, wrote his wishes down and sealed them in an envelope.

This child's imagination was fueled by pen strokes and wishes on paper.

"Scruff-a-luvs, suction cups, dino smashers, that is it. Merry Christmas, Santa," Colwell smiled as he wrote his wishes.

Letters like his make it to the big guy at the North Pole every year, but not without passing through the hands of Santa's helpers at the post office.

"Just to be a part of the spirit of Christmas and working for the big guy, it's always great," Susan Hatton, the administrative assistant to the postmaster in Knoxville, said.

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She's worked at the U.S. Postal Service for 20 years.

"We are the ones that get the letters to Santa, so we have a very important role at Christmas time," Hatton explained.

She's the middle man sorting and reading the letters so Santa knows where his response needs to go.

"Of course Santa knows where you live when he's in the sleigh, but as far as putting things on an address for a letter for the carrier to deliver that's very important," Hatton nodded.

She's seen the usual letters, asking for smart phone watches and dolls, but she's also come across more personal ones.

"'Santa, could you please make it so mom could spend more time with my brother and sister and I,'" Hatton read. "So that was one that kind of tugged on the heartstrings a little bit."

She knows each piece of mail to and from Saint Nick means more than the nice and naughty list.

Hatton estimates she's seen about 650 letters addressed to Santa this year. Each of those children will get a response from the jolly old elf himself.

RELATED: Knoxville mom: Try giving experiences instead of toys for your kids this holiday season

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