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Sulphur Springs Post Office employee Anita Riggs poses with breast cancer stamps and the trophy belt she won last year for raising the most money for breast cancer research/ Staff photo by Taylor Nye
Sulphur Springs hopes to be top regional office in fundraising again in 2020
For the second year in a row, the Sulphur Springs Post Office is part of a nationwide campaign to raise funds for breast cancer research. They hope to sell out of their limited-run fundraising stamps for cards and letters, just like they did last year.
To increase awareness about breast cancer, the United States Postal Service is challenging citizens of Hopkins County to contribute through the purchase of the stamps. The stamps, which feature a rainbow watercolor design with a line drawing of a mythical goddess on the hunt, according to the USPS, cost 65 cents. Of this, ten cents per stamp goes to support breast cancer research.
Since their inception in 1997, more than one billion of the stamps have been sold, according to the USPS.
“The self-adhesive breast cancer research stamp is now available,” Sulphur Springs postmaster David Martin said. “The post office has a proud tradition of issuing stamps to help raise awareness of social issues. This stamp helps continue our role in the fight against breast cancer.”
In 2019, the downtown Sulphur Springs branch was quite successful. The citizens of Hopkins County purchased more breast cancer stamps than even the region’s largest post office at Tyler, according to Sulphur Springs employee Anita Riggs.
Riggs herself sold the most stamps to customers, and for this she was awarded a commemorative belt modeled on wrestling champion belts. For the month of October, she has kept the belt displayed in the main glass case in the post office lobby. Patrons may have glimpsed it as they entered to send or pick up packages, Riggs said.
“It’s just a friendly competition,” joked employee Christine Miles. Even so, Riggs and her fellow employees find the awareness the stamps cause a crucial matter.
“It’s an important cause,” Riggs added. “We’re here for everybody here. So when people say they love coming here, that’s why. We’ve got a great post office here because we’re for the community. ”
Stamps and stamp books are available for purchase through Oct. 31 at your post office.