What

United States Postal Service, Special Olympics Stamp Dedication 

Who

Special Olympics Colorado athletes

• Tennis player Julian Hall
• Powerlifter Nikia Davenport
• Swimmer Chris McElroy

Special Olympics Colorado President & CEO Mindy Watrous
Colorado Springs Police Department Chief Pete Carey
Colorado Springs Postmaster J. Michael Cook

When

June 3, 10:30 a.m.

Where

US Postal Service
Downtown Station
201 E Pikes Peak Ave
Colorado Springs, CO

Background

The U.S. Postal Service is helping celebrate the 2015 Special Olympics World Games by issuing the Special Olympics World Games Forever Stamp.

The stamp will be on display to the general public at this public event outside the Post Office and will be sold at Post Offices nationwide.

The three athletes at the event will also represent Special Olympics USA at the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles, July 25-August 2.

The stamp commemorates the flagship event of the Special Olympics movement, the Special Olympics Summer World Games, which occur once every four years will be held in Los Angeles this year from July 25 - Aug. 2. More than half a million spectators will enjoy nine days of challenging and inspiring international competition as more than 7,000 athletes from 177 countries compete in 25 Olympic-type sports. The athletes will include 344 from the United States. Visit Special Olympics USA for the complete U.S. team listing.

The annual Special Olympics Colorado Summer Games will be held in Grand Junction, CO, June 5-7.

Today, Special Olympics has grown to encompass nearly 5 million athletes worldwide. Every year, with the support of more than 1.3 million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics organize more than 81,000 games and competitions. The 2015 Special Olympics World Games will showcase what Special Olympics is accomplishing every day, around the world.

Quote from Colorado Springs Postmaster (A) Mike Cook

“The Postal Service is pleased to honor Special Olympics, an organization that — for nearly five decades — has changed the world by creating opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. In doing so, we honor the important work of Special Olympics, which uses sports as the catalyst for societal change in the areas of health, education, and in creating communities of acceptance and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities everywhere. Using these stamps on your cards, letters and packages is a great way to show your support for these athletes.”

About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports, every day around the world. We empower people with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all. Using sports as the catalyst and programming around health and education, Special Olympics is fighting inactivity, injustice and intolerance.
Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 4.4 million athletes in 170 countries. With the support of more than 1.3 million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers 32 Olympic-type sports and more than 81,000 games and competitions throughout the year. Visit Special Olympics at specialolympics.org. Engage with Special Olympics on: Twitter @specialolympics; fb.com/specialolympics;youtube.com/specialolympicshq; instagram.com/specialolympics andspecialolympicsblog.wordpress.com.

About Special Olympics Colorado
Special Olympics Colorado provides year-round training and competition in 22 sports for more than 16,000 athletes living in the state of Colorado. With the support of more than 9,000 volunteers and the generosity of Colorado citizens, corporations and local businesses, Special Olympics Colorado is able to offer more than 100 events annually to individuals with intellectual disabilities age 2½ and up. Participation with other athletes, Unified partners (typically developing peers), coaches, sponsors and volunteers builds confidence and creates opportunities to participate as productive and respected members of society by increasing public awareness of the athletes’ capabilities. For more information, visit SpecialOlympicsCO.org. Engage with Special Olympics Colorado on: facebook.com/SpecialOlympicsColorado; instagram.com/SpecialOlympicsCO; twitter.com/SpecialOlympicsCO.

The Stamp Design
The stamp features the 2015 Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles logo, showcasing the colors of flags from participating countries. “The logo’s celebratory figure represents the courage, determination and joy of our athletes,” said President and CEO of the 2015 World Games Patrick McClenahan. “Placing the iconic image inside the circle represents acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.” Art director Greg Breeding of Charlottesville, VA, designed the stamp for the Postal Service.

The Stamp
The Special Olympics World Games stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

Fifty million Special Olympics World Games Forever stamps were produced. Customers may purchase the stamps at usps.com/stamps, the Postal Store, at 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724) and at Post Offices nationwide or visit ebay.com/stamps to shop for a wide variety of postage stamps and collectibles.

About the The Unified Relay Across America
Presented by Bank of America, this is a historic, once-in-a-lifetime event that gives anyone in the country a chance to carry the Flame of Hope that will be lit in Athens, Greece and help deliver it to Los Angeles for the Special Olympics World Games. Over the course of 46 days, in a hand-to-hand exchange, over 20,000 participants will run, walk or bike a segment of the relay in this team and individual fundraising event as it passes through all 50 states. The relay will culminate at the Opening Ceremony of the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles on July 25, 2015. ESPN, the official broadcaster of the World Games, will produce the Opening Ceremony live as well as a nightly highlights program throughout the nine-day event on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC.

To register for the Unified Relay Across America, visit www.SpecialOlympicsCO.org. You can register as an individual for $110 or a team of up to 15 for $1,000. If a team raises at least $1,500, the team will keep a commemorative 2015 World Games torch.

The Unified Relay will be in Pueblo and Colorado Springs June 25-26.

Ordering First-Day-of-Issue Postmarks
Customers have 60 days to obtain first-day-of-issue postmarks by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others, and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:
Special Olympics World Games Stamp
Postmaster
15642 Sand Canyon Avenue
Irvine, CA 92619-9998
After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. For more than 50, customers are charged 5 cents each. All orders must be postmarked by July 8, 2015.

Ordering First-Day Covers
The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog, online atusps.com/shop or by calling 800-782-6724. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-782-6724 or writing to:
U.S. Postal Service
Catalog Request
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014

Philatelic Products
There are nine philatelic products for this stamp issue:

472806, Press Sheet with Die-cut, $39.20 (print quantity 500).
472808, Press Sheet without Die-cut, $39.20 (print quantity 1,500).

472810, Pane of 20 stamps included with the Digital Color Postmark Keepsake, $11.95.

472816, First-Day Cover, $0.93.

472821, Digital Color Postmark, $1.64.

472824, Framed Art, $29.95.

472830, Ceremony Program, $6.95.
472831, Stamp Deck Card, $0.95.
472832, Stamp Deck Card with Digital Color Postmark, $1.99.

Many of this year’s other stamps may be viewed on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, via Twitter @USPSstamps.