Santa, I think these guys are in your backyard!

Santa, I think these guys are in your backyard!    Dear Santa Claus,
   Could you please help some guys who are stuck and want to get home for Christmas? There are eight of them. I got my globe out and it looks like they are kinda close to the North Pole!
   A man from the International Transport Workers Federation said they have been cooling their heels up in St. Johns, Newfoundland, since October, because the owner of their ship can’t find a buyer.
   I was wondering how cold their heels were so I looked it up on the computer and it said it was only 31 degrees there last night. It’s even colder here in New Jersey, but then the ITF (I couldn’t figure out what happened to the W) told me the ship has run out of fuel. So I guess they could get pretty cold. He said there are some nice people who live in the port who are helping them out.
   The ship is called the Lyubov Orlova, and I think it has its name in really big letters on the side so you can see it from your sleigh.
   The ITF man said the ship was being used by a company up in Canada called Cruise North. I guess they were looking for polar bears and maybe your workshop. They were going to sell the ship but the deal did not go through so now they are abandoning the ship.
   The ITF man said the workers are owed a lot of money, $375,000. Maybe you can give their kids some extra presents.
   Now this is funny. The ITF man told me the ship is registered in the Cook Islands. I looked on my globe and it is way on the other side of the world in the South Pacific near Tahiti! It’s 81 degrees there.
   I bet those sailors wish they were there!
   Your pal, Chris ' Chris Dupin
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