KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE – The Postal Service has a long history of supporting causes in the national public interest.  In an effort to honor those affected by breast cancer during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Knoxville Post Office, located at 1237 E. Weisgarber Road, will host an event to promote breast cancer awareness and celebrate the success of the first semipostal stamp, the Breast Cancer Research Stamp.

The event is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 18, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the customer lobby.  Organizers will provide a Breast Cancer Wall of Honor, where attendees are encouraged to write the names of loved ones affected by the disease.  A selfie station and breast cancer information will also be available.  The public is invited to attend. 

The Breast Cancer Research Semipostal stamp was authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1997 and first issued in July 1998. It sells for 65 cents, which is currently 10 cents more than the regular First-Class Mail one-ounce stamped letter price (55 cents). By law, the amount above the regular stamp price goes to help fund breast cancer research at the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense’s Medical Research Program. Since 1998, more than $89 million has been raised for this purpose through the sale of the semipostal stamp.  The stamp is available year-round at post offices and usps.com.

About 41,000 women and 460 men in the United States die each year from breast cancer.

The Tennessee District serves ZIP Codes 370-374, 376-385 in Tennessee and 307 in northern Georgia.

The Postal Service does not receive tax dollars for operating expenses; it relies entirely on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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