The Postal Service will highlight its Alzheimer’s semipostal stamp in September.
Semipostal stamps are First-Class Mail stamps sold at a price above the cost of a regular stamp to raise funds for designated causes.
The Alzheimer’s release has raised about $1.6 million since its introduction in 2017. More than 11 million Alzheimer’s stamps have been sold.
Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia, is a progressive, irreversible disorder that attacks nerve cells and their connections in the brain, causing memory loss, decrease in cognitive skill and changs in behavior. The disease is named for Alois Alzheimer, a German physician who discovered and described two hallmark signs of the disease in 1906.
More than 5.3 million Americans age 65 and older are estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease.
The Alzheimer’s semipostal stamp features an illustration that first appeared on a 42-cent Alzheimer’s Awareness stamp released in 2008. It shows an older woman in profile with a hand on her shoulder, with the suggestion of sunlight behind her.
USPS facility leaders and employees can promote the stamp in September but must follow the organization’s rules on semipostal stamp activities.
Employees with questions about these activities should email the USPS Ethics Office.
