Show your Valentines a little extra love this year with a hand-stamped Valentine from our very own Sweetheart City... Loveland!
The Loveland Commerce and Loveland Postal Service is celebrating a 78 year partnership this year, re-stamping the valentines of friends, family and lovers from across the globe.
A few years ago, the cache stamp that adorns the front of the official envelopes was renamed, and the Official Commemorative Envelope Art of the Loveland Re-mailing Program was born. It looks like the program may just stick around.
Rome Dietrich and others launched the program way back when to foster a love of stamp collecting, but it never really took off. They realized they needed to revamp the initiative, and sought the help of Ted Thompson, who manages the Rialto Theater and served as president on the Loveland Chamber. Ted realized that there was a unique opportunity there for the little town of Loveland, Colorado.
A Valentine Re-mailing program offered the chance to share love and friendship with the people of the United States. Ironically, Ted and his wife, Mabel, were already known as Loveland's Valentine Sweethearts, so they were the perfect couple to get the Re-mailing Program off the ground. And boy did they ever!
Ted and Mabel were largely responsible for the success of the endeavor, and ran the program for the rest of their lives! Their vision, love for their Sweetheart City, and their legacy lives on through the 76 year old program that grows bigger every year. In fact, it's the largest program of its kind in the nation!
The Re-mailing program was embraced by the nation on Valentine's Day, 1950, when Guy Lombardo was designated as Honorary mayor of Loveland. He had recorded a song “There’s a Lovely Lake In Loveland” which of course was featured during the festivities.
The 2024 Official Commemorative Envelope Art and 78th anniversary postmark of the Loveland Re-mailing Program were designed by Corry McDowell with a verse from Jeani Bork. The collectible valentine card features artwork designed by Tiffany Villavicencio and a verse from Brenda Glover.
The Sweetheart City has feelings for all.
And especially in February, we wish to say,
Joy, happiness and love to you on Valentine’s Day.
How Do I Participate?
If you want your cards to be stamped with the cache and special cancellation you can choose one of several options:
💟 Send your valentine to Loveland
- Address the Valentine with the recipient’s address
- Stamp the Valentine (with the appropriate postage)
- Place the Valentine in a larger, first-class envelope (be sure you have enough postage as the letter will be returned to you if you don't)
- For Valentine's Day delivery, the Loveland Post Office must receive your cards by:
- February 1, 2024 for International mail
- February 5, 2024 for US states
- February 7, 2024 for Colorado and Wyoming
- Stamp the larger envelope and address it as follows:
Postmaster – Attention Valentines
446 E 29th St
Loveland, CO 80538-9998
💟 Drop off your Valentines at the Loveland Chamber of Commerce
- Going to be in Loveland? You can drop off your Valentine before February 10th at 5400 Stone Creek Circle in Loveland.
💟 Buy the Loveland Valentine's Day Card
- Loveland also releases a special Valentine’s Day card featuring work by local artists.
- Cards are $12 and are available for purchase online.
- All cards purchased online will automatically go through the remailing program.
💟 Use a Love Forever Stamp to make your Valentine's Day card even more special
- Make your cards even more special by using a Love Forever stamp, found in the Love/Wedding section of the United Postal Service website.
- The first stamp in the series was issued in 1973. The postal service continues its popular Love series with a new 66 cent forever stamp in 2024 that debuted on January 12.
Deadlines for Valentine’s Day Delivery
February 1, 2024 for International mail
February 5, 2024 for US states
February 7, 2024 for Colorado and Wyoming
💟 Each year, volunteers from the Valentine Re-mailing Program lovingly stamp and re-mail Valentines from all 50 states, and more than 110 countries.
💟 It is the largest program of its kind in the United States.
💟 Over 50 original Valentine Volunteers stamp the envelopes... and over 100 are on a waiting list to help stamp!
💟 Stamping and re-mailing take place during the first two weeks of February, with the first mailing leaving Loveland on February 4th.
💟 Entertainment is provided by local artists who stop in and sing tunes, much to the delight of the stampers. Visitors from all over stop in to see the magic of stamping and some even have the chance to stamp their own valentines.
