Breast cancer research stamp facts for kids
The Breast Cancer Research Stamp (BCRS) is a special postage stamp from the United States Postal Service (USPS). It's called a "semi-postal" stamp because it costs a little more than a regular stamp. The extra money collected from selling these stamps goes directly to help fund breast cancer research.
When you buy this stamp, the extra money helps organizations like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Defense (DoD). They use these funds to study breast cancer and find better ways to prevent and treat it. If someone used this stamp every day for a year, they would donate about $40 to research.
This special stamp was first created in 1997. Since then, the U.S. Congress has voted many times to keep it available. Important people like Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alfonse D’Amato helped make this stamp happen. A breast cancer surgeon named Ernie Bodai, a survivor named Betsy Mullen, and an advocate named David Goodman also worked hard to create this stamp. They wanted to help save lives.
The Breast Cancer Research Stamp is a great example of "cause marketing". This is when buying a product also helps a good cause. It lets people make a small donation easily while doing their everyday shopping.
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How the Stamp Started
In 1996, the USPS released a different breast cancer stamp, but it didn't sell very well. That stamp just had a pink ribbon and cost the same as a regular stamp.
The idea for the Breast Cancer Research Stamp came from Dr. Ernie Bodai, a breast surgeon. In 1997, he suggested to the USPS that they sell a stamp for a few pennies more than the usual price. He wanted the extra money to go to breast cancer research. At first, the USPS said no.
Dr. Bodai, along with breast cancer survivor Betsy Mullen and advocate David Goodman, didn't give up. They spent their own money and time talking to members of Congress. They wanted Congress to approve the Breast Cancer Research Stamp. Dr. Bodai even started a group called Cure Breast Cancer Inc. to help promote the stamp and the cause.
In 1995, Congressman Michael Forbes helped add a rule to a spending bill. This rule said that the USPS must create a Breast Cancer Research Stamp. The extra money from this special stamp would be used for breast cancer research.
In 1998, Senators Dianne Feinstein, Alfonse D'Amato, and Lauch Faircloth, along with Congressman Vic Fazio, created a law to make the stamp real. This law said that 70% of the money raised would go to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The other 30% would go to the Breast Cancer Research Program of the United States Department of Defense (DOD).
What the Stamp Looks Like
The USPS asked Ethel Kessler to design the new stamp. She is an art director and a breast cancer survivor herself. Kessler then asked illustrator Whitney Sherman to create the artwork.
Kessler and Sherman wanted the stamp to show strength and courage. They decided to feature Artemis, a Greek goddess known as the protector of women. On the stamp, Artemis is shown reaching for an arrow. This symbolizes her protecting women and also looks like the position women take during a breast exam.
Sherman's drawing is a black outline of the goddess on a bright, colorful background. The colors are soft, giving the stamp an uplifting feeling. The stamp also has the phrases "Fund the Fight" and "Find a Cure" written on it.
The Breast Cancer Research Stamp was first released on July 29, 1998. This special event happened at the White House. First Lady Hillary Clinton and other important people like Senator Dianne Feinstein were there.
How the Money Helps
When the stamp first came out, it cost 40 cents, and a regular stamp was 34 cents. The extra 6 cents went to research. As of 2006, the stamp had raised over $35 million for the NCI and over $15 million for the Department of Defense.
The stamp was originally meant to be sold for a limited time. But because it was so popular and important, Congress has extended its sale many times. The most recent extension allows it to be sold until December 31, 2015.
From its start in 1998 through November 2011, the USPS sold over 924 million Breast Cancer Research Stamps. This raised about $72 million for breast cancer research at the NIH and DoD.
Today, the stamp costs 75 cents. The extra 17 cents from each stamp goes to research programs. The National Institutes of Health gets 70% of this money, and the Department of Defense gets the remaining 30%.
Buying this stamp is an easy and voluntary way to help in the fight against breast cancer. The law that created it was called "The Stamp Out Breast Cancer Act of 1997." It was the first fundraising stamp ever issued in the United States.
In 2014, the stamp was reissued. The new version had the year "2014" printed below "USA" instead of "1998" to the side. So, there are two different versions of the stamp.
Research Supported by the Stamp
The money raised by the Breast Cancer Research Stamp has helped scientists make big steps in understanding breast cancer. These funds support new and creative research projects.
Here are some examples of programs the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has funded with money from the stamp:
- Insight Awards to Stamp-Out Breast Cancer (2000–2002): These awards funded new and risky research ideas by scientists outside the government. They helped explore new ways to fight breast cancer.
- Exceptional Opportunities in Breast Cancer Research (2003–2006): This funding supported important research that might not have received money otherwise.
- Clinical Trial to Determine Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence (2005): This clinical trial helped doctors decide which breast cancer patients needed chemotherapy. It used a special test to check the risk of the cancer coming back.
- Breast Cancer Pre-Malignancy Program (2006): This program focused on understanding breast cancer before it becomes serious. It looked at ways to prevent it, find it early, and study how it develops.
The Department of Defense also has a Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP). This program receives 30% of the money from the stamp sales. It supports many research projects.
Stamp Sales and Impact
Since the Breast Cancer Research Stamp first went on sale in 1998, the DOD BCRP has received over $16 million from its sales.
Over the years, Congress has voted to extend the sale of the stamp multiple times. This shows how important and successful the stamp has been in raising money for research.
The money from the stamp helps fund "Idea Awards" for researchers. These awards encourage new and creative ways to study breast cancer. Many projects supported by the stamp funds study how normal breast cells change into cancer cells. They also look at why cancer cells keep growing and dividing. Understanding these changes can help scientists develop new medicines to prevent or treat breast cancer.
Some research projects also focus on metastasis. This is when cancer cells spread from the original tumor to other parts of the body. The stamp funds help scientists find new ways to stop cancer from spreading.
Other projects look at the risk of developing breast cancer. Researchers study groups of people to understand who is more likely to get the disease.
The Breast Cancer Research Stamp funds also support projects using nanotechnology. This is a field that works with tiny materials. The goal of these projects is to use tiny particles to find breast cancer very early.
A small town in Georgia called Loganville started a campaign to sell more Breast Cancer Research Stamps. Their campaign, "Contract to Cure Cancer," made their post office the top seller of the stamp per person.
