Children demonstrated the power of the mail throughout the year.
Seven-year-old Will Erickson met George Springer, his favorite Houston Astros player, after he mailed a letter asking the team not to trade him.
Elsewhere, Loren Smith, 9, got a big surprise when he wrote to the Oakland Athletics after his baseball memorabilia was lost in a fire, while 8-year-old Michele Threefoot received a letter from Ruth Bader Ginsburg after she dressed like the Supreme Court justice for a school event.
Postal Service employees were also inspirational role models for youngsters like Sean Marasigan, who spent Halloween dressed as his dad, Oak Brook, IL, Letter Carrier Felix Marasigan.
Churubusco, IN, Letter Carrier Mary Schrader impressed eight children interested in USPS, while Bloomsburg, PA, City Carrier Assistant Wes Winter encouraged a child who wants to be a letter carrier.
There were also cards and letters of encouragement sent to children suffering from serious illnesses, including 10-year-old Linda Shepard, who battled leukemia, and Jacob Thompson, a terminally ill 9-year-old Maine boy who celebrated an early, final Christmas.
“Each and every person who sent Jacob a Christmas card, a gift, a Facebook message or video, or a prayer made a difference in the final days of his life,” Jacob’s family wrote in a statement after his death. “You brought Jacob joy, and you brought us all optimism for the future.”
The Link archive has more children’s stories from 2017.