Employees make pledges to benefit cancer research

By ROWENA PLETT

Staff writer

Area post offices are having a contest to see who can raise the most money to support breast cancer research through the sale of special stamps.

Connie Johnson of Burdick, Officer In Charge at the Lincolnville post office, set a personal goal to sell at least 800 stamps, which equals 40 sheets. She sent out a letter to patrons stating her goal and pledging to dye her hair pink if she reached it.

Starting at 300 stamps sold, she dyed a strand of her hair pink, and for every 100 more sold, she kept adding pink.

In a matter of weeks, she had reached her goal, and now she sports a pink hairdo.

She has sold 1,680 stamps so far, and has 660 of the special stamps remaining, which she also hopes to sell by the end of the month.

Gail Burns of Lincolnville is Officer In Charge at the Lost Springs post office. She made a similar pledge to get a tattoo of the breast cancer ribbon on her left foot if she reached 800 stamps sold.

Burns has reached her goal and is planning to get the tattoo by the end of the month. She has sold 940 of the special stamps so far and expects to sell more.

The local fundraising effort is part of a nationwide fundraising campaign by the U.S. Postal Service in observance of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The service is promoting a breast cancer stamp that sells for $11 for a sheet of 20. For every sheet bought, the postal service gives $2.20 for breast cancer research.

Both women invite patrons to visit their post offices to buy the stamps and see the pink decor they have added to brighten their offices. Patrons can sign up for special drawings and giveaways.

“This heartbreaking disease will not go away on its own, so join us now in contributing to the fight,” Johnson said.