Christine Finn usually buys a traditional stamp, at a traditional price, for sending holiday greeting cards.  Not this year.

    Finn and thousands of other Americans are buying special 40-cent postage stamps that benefit cancer research.  How much has 8 cents a stamp meant to the cause so far?  About $3.6 million in just 3½ months.

    "It's such a minimal charge for what it's for," said Finn, a Brookside resident who recently learned about the stamp while sitting in her doctor's office, waiting for a mammogram.

    That's what Kansas City area postal officials think, too.

    "We believe in this stamp," said Terry Pendland, spokeswoman for the US. Postal Service in Kansas City.  "This is the first time the Postal Service has ever done anything like this." 

    The money is divided between the National Institutes of Health and the medical research program of the Department of Defense.

    Beginning Monday, Kansas City area post offices will compete to see which branch can sell the most stamps through the holidays.  Customers will receive a commemorative lapel pin of the stamp if they buy a sheet of 20.

    Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death among women behind lung cancer.  The American Cancer Society predicts that 178,700 cases will be diagnosed this year.

    Early detection and treatment are key to survival.  This includes mammograms for women over 40 at least once every two years and breast self-examination every month for all women over 20.

    "People purchase stamps every day, and now they can turn that simple act into a meaningful and effective way to participate in the fight against breast cancer," Postmaster General William Henderson said. On a typical day, the postal service cancels 95 million cards and letters.  Last year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, number swelled to 150 million.

    Betsy Mullen of San Diego survived breast cancer, founded the Women's Information Network Against Breast Cancer and lobbied Congress for the stamp.

    "People could make an amazing statement if they used nothing but the breast cancer stamp on their holiday cards," she said.  They would be giving a tremendous gift of hope this season."

    To reach Kim Kozlowski, call (816) 234-7813 or send e-mail to kkozlowski@kcstar:com

Breast cancer stamp

To order the Breast Cancer Research stamp by mail, call (800) STAMP24 (782-6724).