Support The Troops In Memory Of Bob Hope

Fort Myers, Cape Coral, FL — On May 29, the Postal Service will issue a stamp honoring actor and comedian Bob Hope on what would have been Hope’s 106^th birthday. Hope dedicated a significant part of his life to entertaining men and women in uniform. After giving hundreds of performances overseas, he earned the nickname of “G.I. Bob” and in 1997 became the first person recognized by Congress as an honorary veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces. Hope’s thousands of honors also include the Congressional gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Please join us on Friday, May 29^th at Cape Coral Central Post Office, 1030 SE 9^th Ave, Cape Coral for a special Bob Hope – “Support The Troops” stamp event from 10 am to 2 pm.

A “Top Packer” challenge will feature a competition to see who can pack the most items in a Priority Mail APO/FPO flat rate box. The competition will be judged by the USPS Consumer Advisory Council and three winners will be selected to win free postage for their package going to a military address. The winner will be determined based on the number of items and total weight of the package. Contestants can bring their unsealed packages to the Cape Coral Central Post Office event location from 10 am to 2 pm for judging.

The Postal Service is carrying on Bob Hope’s legacy of entertaining American men and women in uniform by encouraging communities nationwide to support the troops and send care packages to military personnel stationed around the world. Care packages and reminders of home are a big morale boost for military service members. To help families and friends of military personnel, the Postal Service offers a discount on its largest Priority Mail Flat-Rate boxes. “I want to make sure our residents know about the discount for military shipping as well as our free Military Care Kit, designed specifically for military families sending packages overseas”, said Postmaster Anne Murray.

A limited edition collectible cachet envelope featuring the Bob Hope stamp image and a first day of sale official postmark will be available for sale in all Fort Myers and Cape Coral Post Offices starting May 29^th while supplies last. The cachet envelopes can be requested by mail. Send $3 per envelope and indicate the postmark city, Fort Myers or Cape Coral to: Bob Hope Cachet, 79 Mid Cape Ter, Cape Coral, Fl 33991.

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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes, six days a week. It has 34,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.