Danny Thomas Forever Stamp Available Today

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Feb 16, 2012, 02:30 ET

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United States Postal Service today issued a new commemorative Forever Stamp honoring one of America's legendary entertainers and humanitarians: Danny Thomas. The stamp may be purchased at Post Offices, online at usps.com and by phone at 800-782-6724.

"Throughout his career, Danny Thomas received many honors, including a 1953 Emmy Award and the Congressional Gold Medal," said Guy Cottrell, chief postal inspector, U.S. Postal Service, who was the dedicating official. "Today, through the issuance of this new stamp, his inspirational life story, and the story of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, will be shared with countless others through the U.S. Mail."

Cottrell encouraged wide use of the stamp. "Most of all, we would like to see these stamps displayed prominently on cards and letters," he said. "That way, they can spread the word about St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to homes and offices across the nation and around the world."

Joining Cottrell to dedicate the stamp were Tony Thomas, son of Danny Thomas and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital board member; Richard C. Shadyac Jr., chief executive officer, ALSAC, the fundraising organization of St. Jude; Dr. William E. Evans, director and chief executive officer, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; and Stephen Kearney, manager, Stamp Services, U.S. Postal Service.

In 1962, Thomas founded St. Jude with a mission to save the lives of children everywhere. He fervently believed that "no child should die in the dawn of life." Thomas wanted to create a hopeful place that was accepting of all children whether or not the family could afford treatment.

Today, St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research hospital where no family is ever turned away due to an inability to pay and no family ever pays St. Jude. For 50 years, St. Jude has advanced treatment of such childhood diseases as cancer, saving the lives of children across America. Research at St. Jude has changed how the world treats leukemia, brain tumors and sickle cell disease, helping push survival rates for childhood cancers from less than 20 percent in 1962 to almost 80 percent today.

Featuring a new portrait of Thomas by artist Tim O'Brien and depicting the hospital he founded in the background, the Danny Thomas Forever Stamp was designed by Greg Breeding.

Customers may view the Danny Thomas Forever Stamp, as well as many of this year's other stamps, on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, through Twitter @USPSstamps or on the website Beyond the Perf at beyondtheperf.com/stamp-releases/2012. Beyond the Perf is the Postal Service's online site for background on upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark, Danny Thomas Forever Stamp
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at a 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:

Danny Thomas Stamp
Postmaster
555 South Third Street
Memphis, TN 38101-9998

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes by mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by April 16, 2012.

How to Order 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. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-782-6724 or writing to:

U.S. Postal Service
Catalog Request
U.S. Postal Service
P.O. Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014

Philatelic Products
There are four philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

468661, First-Day Cover, $.89.
468665, Digital Color Postmark, $1.60.
468691, Ceremony Program, $6.95
468699, Cancellation Keepsake (Digital Color Postmark w/Pane), $10.95.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world's mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. In 2011, the U.S. Postal Service was ranked number one in overall service performance, out of the top 20 wealthiest nations in the world, by Oxford Strategic Consulting. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for six years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute. Follow USPS on Twitter @USPS_PR and at Facebook.com/usps.

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service