“Graves is the first Deaf graduate of the International University of Santa Claus — and he's signing Christmas back into Deaf kids' hands.”
— Associated Press
The Associated Press distributed a wire profile of Charles Graves that ran in dozens of regional outlets, including The Post Guam — extending the story of America’s first Deaf Santa across the Pacific. The AP piece took an explanatory approach, walking readers through the basics: why Deaf-accessible Santa visits matter, how Graves trained at the International University of Santa Claus, and what a typical appearance looks like in practice.
Wire stories like this one were instrumental in surfacing the foundation’s work to outlets that would not otherwise have known about a New Braunfels educator’s Santa practice. The geographic reach — from Texas to Guam — helped catalyze the eventual decision to build the documentary as a national-distribution film rather than a regional one.
The AP byline also added institutional weight that made it easier for the foundation to secure later coverage from larger outlets including TODAY, GMA, and the Austin Chronicle’s AFF coverage.
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