In a one-man lobbying effort, Dr. Ernie Bodai convinced Congress and the U.S. Postal Service to issue the first ever Breast Cancer Stamp.
Here are Dr. Bodai’s words of how it all started. I will never forget that night. The idea came to me in a flash. In December 1995 I was stamping holiday cards and preparing for a lecture on the history of breast cancer surgery, when suddenly it occurred to me: Why not have a stamp to raise money for breast cancer research? The next thing I knew, I had become a cancer activist.
I first contacted the U.S. Postmaster General with the idea for the stamp and was promptly turned down. Then I wrote letters to all the female members of Congress, with no response.
Incensed, I flew to Washington, DC, and started knocking on the doors of Capitol Hill lawmakers. I essentially became a full-time lobbyist while continuing a very busy breast surgical practice. It was exhausting, but I firmly believed that my efforts and hard work would pay off. Americans are very philanthropic, so I knew that all I had to do was to get legislation passed and the monies would start being raised.
After two years and a dozen trips back and forth across the country, my persistence paid off. In 1997, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced the “Stamp Out Breast Cancer Act” authorizing the Postal Service to establish and sell this special stamp, initially two years, to raise money for breast cancer research. The stamp became the first in the nation’s history dedicated to raising funds for a special cause. Due to its success, the Breast Cancer Stamp continued after the first 2 years and today, more than a decade later, has become the highest selling Stamp in the United States, now approaching one billion. For more information visit cure breast cancer.
