I went to my local post office this
week and bought a sheet of Alzheimer’s semipostal stamps. I couldn’t help but
brag, “My friend, Kathy Siggins, is the one who got the approval for this
stamp. She worked eighteen years to make it happen!”
Often, we claim people as friends
when they do something extraordinary—something that makes a mark in history. In
this case, I wasn’t exaggerating. I met Sarah Harris, Jane Adams, and Kathy Siggins at the first Alzheimer’s forum I
went to in 2001. We forged a lasting and special friendship of the heart.
And guess what? Kathy was already working on the Alzheimer’s
semipostal stamp, and was still working on it at the 2017 forum.
Well, frankly, I didn’t even know
what a semipostal stamp was, or why we wanted, much less needed, an Alzheimer’s
stamp. Since then, thanks to my friend Kathy, I’ve learned quite a bit about
them.
Getting a semipostal stamp approved
isn’t easy. As you’ve heard said before…it takes an Act of Congress. The
Semipostal Authorization Act grants the U.S. Postal Service authority to sell
fundraising stamps to further causes that are in the national interest. They
will issue five semipostal stamps over the next ten years, with the Alzheimer’s
stamp being the first discretionary semipostal stamp. The second stamp, already
approved, is another cause near-and-dear to me: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
semipostal stamp.
Why are these stamps important?
Prior semipostal stamps have raised millions of dollars. Congress mandated the
first semipostal stamp in history for Breast Cancer Research which raised $86.7 million and a Save Vanishing
Species Semipostal stamp that raised $4.3 million.
The Alzheimer’s stamp costs sixty
cents. The additional cost of the stamp will go toward Alzheimer’s research. As
Congressman Elijah Cummings said at the dedication, this is a “big deal.”
Kathy Siggins has been busy lately.
The stamp was released on November 30 and she was a special guest at the
official dedication of the stamp. The Congressman recognized Kathy for her
work. “You turned your pain into a passion and to a purpose.” He said it would
affect generations yet unborn. He went on to say, “Your name may never appear
on the front page of the Washington Post. You may not even make the local
gazette… By the way, you may never be famous, but there will be people who will
benefit from what you did.”
The Congressman said Kathy was an example of how “one person who instead of standing on the sidelines of life
having a pity party” used her energy to make life better for somebody else.
I’ve followed Kathy’s various
events online: award presentations, television interview, dedication parties,
and celebrations. She takes it all in stride. Kathy has worked toward this day
for so long, I’m sure she is filled with exhilaration.
The stamp, thanks to the unwavering
efforts of Kathy Siggins, will be on sale for two years. Buy early and often! Let
this be the only stamp you buy in the next two years.
 |
| Kathy and Sarah (back), Linda and Jane (front) |
Yes, Kathy, you are our Alzheimer’s
hero. Speaking for Sarah, Jane, and myself, we
salute you, our sister of the heart, and heap our gratitude and love on you for being the
special person you are.
The US Postal Service dedication
ceremony: https://www.facebook.com/USPS/videos/10155960281864810/
#AlzheimersStamp
Copyright © December 2017 by L.S.
Fisher
#ENDALZ
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