Post Office to Mark Issuance of Alzheimer’s Stamp at Local Event

Ceremony at Des Moines’ Trinity Center Intended to Help Raise Public Awareness

Des Moines, Iowa — According to the Alzheimer’s Association, every 71 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer’s disease. For these individuals and their families, the significance of this moment cannot be underestimated as it marks the beginning of a devastating descent into memory loss. For the person with Alzheimer's, interaction with the caregiver means everything.

To help raise awareness of the issues surrounding this dreadful disease, and to draw attention to the importance of the caregiver, officials of the Des Moines Post Office will join members of the Greater Iowa Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association at a brief ceremony on Tuesday, November 18 at 10:30 a.m., at the Trinity Center, located at 1555 East Hull Avenue.

"I'm proud that the Postal Service is helping to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s," said Des Moines Postmaster Kyle Collinsworth. "With each sale of an Alzheimer’s Awareness stamp, it will be a way for all Americans to show support for those who battle the disease and for those who care for them.”

Alzheimer’s: The Warning Signs
Experts estimate that more than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. People suffering with Alzheimer’s have trouble carrying out daily activities. The disease initially affects the parts of the brain that control language, thought and memory. It is the most common form of dementia among older people. To help recognize the warning signs, the Alzheimer’s Association has developed a list of the 10 common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease:
Memory loss.
Difficulty performing familiar tasks.
Problems with language.
Disorientation to time and place.
Poor or decreased judgment.
Problems with abstract thinking.
Misplacing things.
Changes in mood or behavior.
Changes in personality.
Loss of initiative.

To see the Alzheimer’s Awareness stamp, go to the Postal Store at http://shop.usps.com; click Stamps and then 42-Cent First-Class. To see other 2008 stamps, click Stamps. All current stamps, philatelic products and gift items are available by calling toll free, 800-STAMP-24 or 800-782-6724. To obtain a high-resolution image of the stamp for media use only, e-mail roy.a.betts@usps.gov.

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Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/welcome.htm.

An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits every address in the nation — 146 million homes and businesses. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses, not tax dollars. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.