(STAMP COLLECTING NEWS) Beginning October 31, 2001, the message "Utah Welcomes the World, Salt Lake 2002" will appear on millions of cards and letters postmarked in Salt Lake City. The postmark is a collaborative effort between the Visitor Information Services Coalition of Utah (VIS) and the Utah Tourism Industry Coalition (UTIC), said Rip Rippetoe, Executive Director of both organizations.

The postmarks are being done in cooperation with the Salt Lake City District of the U.S. Postal Service, and will be on three of the five canceling (postmarking) machines used at the Salt Lake City Processing and Distribution Center on Redwood Road. That means the special message will appear on about 80 percent of all mail (approximately 600,000 letters daily) originating from Orem north through the rest of the state. The postmarks will be used until the end of March 2002.

To ensure your mail gets the special postmark, or for people who live outside of the Orem to Logan area, affix First-Class stamps to envelopes of your choice, address the envelopes (to yourself or others) and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Utah Welcomes the World
C/O Postmaster
US Postal Service
PO Box 31777
Salt Lake City UT 84131-0777