St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital continues to rely on the mail to raise money to fund its mission to treat kids with life-threatening illnesses.
The Postal Service delivers more than 300 million pieces of direct mail each year to St. Jude’s donors, including many who mail their contributions to the Memphis-based hospital.
“We rely on the mail to help us raise funds and awareness for St. Jude, each and every day of the year,” Marlo Thomas, the hospital’s national outreach director, says in a new video on the National Postal Museum’s site.
The 2-minute segment is part of “America’s Mailing Industry,” an online exhibit that shows how the Postal Service and businesses have worked together for more than 200 years.
Thomas also discusses the size of the mailing industry, which pumps $1 trillion a year into the economy. She calls the industry “a breathtaking enterprise that is woven into the very fabric of our lives.”
Additionally, Thomas cites her personal connection to the mail: In 2012, USPS released a stamp honoring her father, entertainer Danny Thomas, who founded St. Jude’s.
“That sure makes mailing a letter special to us,” she says.