State Leads Nation in Breast Cancer Stamp Sales

PRESS RELEASE

JACKSON, Miss. — The fight to stamp out breast cancer wages on, and it is no more fiercely and hard fought than during the month of October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Throughout the 400+ Post Offices in the Mississippi District of the U.S. Postal Service, it was fought in a special way. Sure, hundreds of postal employees wore their pink and walked the walks, but the weapon of choice was something even more venerable, the Breast Cancer Research Stamp. Amid the rally cry of “Fight Breast Cancer!” came the equally important encouragement to “Buy Breast Cancer Stamps!”

And, no one was better at achieving support for Breast Cancer Research through the “Fund The Cure” semipostal stamps than the Mississippi District, which exceeded $568,000 in October sales and led the nation for the second straight year.

“We made up our minds to lead this fight again, and we didn’t just take it to the streets, we took it to the mail!” said Mississippi District Manager Elizabeth Johnson. “Not only do I want to salute the employees who worked tirelessly and innovatively, I want to thank every customer who purchased a sheet of the one million Breast Cancer stamps the Mississippi District sold in October.”

While the Gulfport, MS Post Office led the nation in 2012, it finished second this year, just behind the same Missouri Post Office it beat last year for the title. Of more than 12,000 participating locations nationally, 6 Mississippi Post Offices finished in the Top 20 and 33 in the Top 100. Tupelo was seventh and little Hamilton was 15th (see the complete state list below).

“We had small offices stand out as national leaders, and we also enjoyed success from an overall team effort,” says Johnson. “Our employees did an awesome job at promoting the stamps in their communities and towns. They decorated, they dressed up, they dyed their hair pink, they organized events—our theme was ‘Paint Mississippi Pink,’ and they did whatever it took to color this entire state with fundraising success.”

The Breast Cancer Research stamp was originally authorized by Congress in 1998 as the first semipostal stamp, and its remarkable success and enduring theme have led to it being renewed multiple times (currently through Dec. 31, 2015). By law, 70 percent of the net amount raised is given to the National Institutes of Health, and 30 percent is given to the Medical Research Program at the Department of Defense. Since its issuance, the stamp has raised over $77.6 million (through Sept. 2013) for breast cancer research.

“Mississippians are the most charitable people in the country, and it’s great to see how they stepped up and bought more stamps than people in places like New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, or Miami,” says Johnson. “What drives our people and gives us the greatest satisfaction is the contribution we made in support of such a worthy cause. The way to fight and beat breast cancer is through research, and this was a fight we took to the mail and won!”

Gulfport Main Post Office (2nd)

Philadelphia (6th)

Tupelo Main Post Office (7th)

Columbia (14th)

Hamilton (15th)

Indianola (20th)

In the Top 50:

Louisville (23rd)

Greenville Crossroads Station (27th)

Gautier (28th)

Olive Branch (34th)

Jackson North Station (35th)

Hattiesburg Main Post Office (37th)

Canton (39th)

Jackson Downtown Station (43rd)

Yazoo City (45th)

Wiggins(46th)

Jackson LeFleur Station (49th)

Jackson Westland Station (50th)

In the Top 100:

Leland (51st)

Ackerman (53rd)

Terry (61st)

Iuka (65th)

Amory (66th)

Walnut Grove (67th)

Baldwyn (68th)

Southaven (70th)

Laurel Choctaw Station (72nd)

Jackson Byram Station (74th)

Hernando (78th)

Cleveland (84th)

Meridian North Station (88th)

Greenwood Leflore Station (96th)

Jackson Pearl Station (99th)

 

Categories: Local News

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