Post Offices Sell Semi-Postal Stamp Supporting Breast Cancer Research

Few things reach as many Americans each day as the U.S. Mail --- and postage stamps provide an opportunity to raise money and awareness in support of important social issues.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and South Florida postal employees are reminding their customers that the 55-cent Breast Cancer Research semi-postal stamp covers First-Class Mail postage and generates funds for this important cause.

Since 1998, the Postal Service has been selling the Breast Cancer Research stamp. Portions of the proceeds from the sale of this stamp help underwrite the research effort to find a cure for the disease. To date, nationwide the Postal Service has sold almost 940 million semi-postal stamps, raising $75 million for research.

The stamp features artwork of a mythical "goddess of the hunt" and is available at your local Post Office. For a list of South Florida Post Office locations, visit usps.com.

According to the American Cancer Society, about one in eight women in the United States --- 12 percent --- will develop invasive breast cancer. However, more women are undergoing mammograms to detect the disease in its earliest stages, and breast cancer deaths are on the decline.