by Dennis Dalman
news@thenewsleaders.com
Sartell postal workers are confident city residents will step up to the plate again and hit a home run for the fight against breast cancer.
Each year, October is the month the U.S. Postal Service and all of its branch offices, including the one in Sartell, promote sales of its “Breast Cancer” stamps. Sales of those stamps have raised almost $80 million for breast-cancer research since the stamps debuted in 1998. More than 950 million of the stamps have been sold to postal customers.
The Sartell Post Office has won multiple honors because of its records for sales.
“Sartell customers have traditionally been huge supporters of this cause,” said Terry Niehaus, Sartell postmaster.
Niehaus noted the post office was honored for top breast-cancer stamp sales in 2000, 2001 and 2011. It was quite the feat, considering Sartell was in competition with 171 other offices in its postal region, including those in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Rochester, Mankato and many other places.
Last year, the Sartell post office placed second, with customers having purchased $4,200-worth of breast-cancer stamps. But even though Sartell was in second place, the 2012 sales were still a 136-percent increase from the year before, when sales totaled $1,800, Niehaus noted. The Richfield office took top honors last year.
The money raised by the stamp sales is split between the National Institute of Health (75 percent of the funds) and the National Department of Defense’s Medical Research Program (25 percent). Each stamp costs 55 cents, nine cents more than a normal first-class stamp. A sheet of 20 of the stamps sells for $11, whereas a sheet of typical stamps costs $9.20. From each sheet of breast-cancer stamps, $1.80 of the price is donated to the cause.
“We are very grateful for the total support Sartell people show toward this worthy cause and are very aware it’s their generosity that sets them apart,” Niehaus said.
First issued in 1998, the Breast Cancer stamp features the phrases, “Fund the Fight” and “Find a Cure” and an illustration of a mythical “goddess of the hunt.” As of October 2012, the stamp has raised over $76.3 million for breast cancer research. 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. These self-adhesive stamps are being issued in sheets of 20.
