Loveland, Colorado

If you would like to send your Valentine's cards with the special Loveland, Colorado postmark, follow these simple steps:

♥ Address your cards as you regularly would if you were mailing them yourself (stamp and all).

♥ Put all of your cards into one envelope, and mail them to:

Postmaster
Valentine Re-Mailing
446 E. 29th St.
Loveland, CO 80538-9998

♥ For delivery by Valentine's Day, your cards going outside of the U.S. must be received by February 4th. U.S. destined mail must be received in Loveland by February 9th, and cards to be delivered within Colorado must be received by February 12th. All letters received after these dates will still receive the cachet, but might not reach their destination until after Valentine's Day.

Members of the Loveland Stamp Club originally came up with the idea of a Re-Mailing Program in 1947 as a stamp collection oddity, rather than a Sweetheart angle. The club tried to promote the program for a couple of years but realized they needed someone with more marketing abilities. Ted Thompson, who managed Loveland's Rialto Theater and served as president of the Loveland Chamber of Commerce in addition to his remarkable marketing skills, was asked to help. Ted realized that Loveland, Colorado had a unique opportunity to share a little love and friendship with the people of the USA, and indeed, the world through the Valentine Re-Mailing Program. The program gained nationwide exposure when Guy Lombardo was designated honorary mayor of Loveland on February 14, 1950. Lombardo's orchestra, The Royal Canadians, had recorded the song, "There's a Lovely Lake in Loveland" and featured the song during the program.

The City of Loveland is a Home Rule Municipality that is the second most populous city in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Loveland is situated north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Loveland is the 14th most populous city in the State of Colorado. The United States Census Bureau estimates that in 2005 the population of the City of Loveland was 59,563, the population of the Fort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical Area was 271,927 (163rd most populous MSA), the population of the Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area was 2,869,377 (15th most populous CSA), and the population of the Front Range Urban Corridor was 4,013,055. The city's public schools are part of the Thompson R2-J School District.

(...from Wikipedia)

Loveland, Colorado is known as the 'Sweetheart City,' and has been re-mailing valentines with a special cachet and postal cancellation lovingly hand-stamped on each card by volunteers since 1947. More than 200,000 cards are re-mailed each year from all 50 states and more than 110 countries. Now in its 62nd year, Lovelanders are very proud of their program that sends a message of love around the globe.

The Loveland Chamber of Commerce holds a local contest to gather artistic designs and verses toward the development of a new cachet each year. Corry McDowell was the creator of the 2008 cachet design and Kay Saelens wrote the verse. The cachet is a four-line verse stamped on each envelope with a rubber stamp sending a message of love and hope to the world. From February 1st through the 14th more than 60 senior volunteers come to the Chamber building to lovingly hand-stamp each Valentine card sent to the 'Sweetheart City," to receive this special treatment.

Many of the Valentines sent to Loveland have been accompanied by personal notes or letters. A grandmother in Detroit wrote of her young granddaughter who was dying in a Detroit hospital. She asked that the enclosed valentine be sent as soon as possible. The Valentines were re-mailed promptly along with additional valentines from the Loveland Chamber of Commerce and Loveland postal employees.

In philately, a cachet is a design or inscription, other than a cancellation or pre-printed postage, on an envelope, postcard, or postal card to commemorate a postal or philatelic event. There are official and private cachets; they commemorate everything from the first flight on a particular route, to the Super Bowl. Cachets are also frequently made, either by private companies or a government, for First day of issue stamp events or 'Second-Day' stamp events. They are often present on event covers.

The first cacheted FDC (first day cover) was produced by prominent philatelist and cachetmaker George W. Linn in 1923, for the Harding Memorial stamp issue.

Cachet-making is considered an art form, and cachets may be produced by using any number of methods, including drawing or painting directly onto the envelope, serigraphy, block printing, lithography, engraving, laser printing, attachment of photographs or other paper memorabilia, etc. Frequently flight cachets (which have also been used in space and on the moon) are rubber-stamped.

The largest and best-known cachet-making companies, which typically produce thousands or tens of thousands of printed cachets for U.S. stamp issues, are Artcraft, Fleetwood, House of Farnam, and Colorano.

(...from Wikipedia)

For 47 years, Miss Valentine has met the governor of Colorado - presenting him with a special gift from Loveland and an Official Loveland Valentine card. She has made a formal presentation to the Senate for the past 46 years. When Stan Matzanaka was senate president, he wrote a poem to Miss Valentine each year and read it to his colleagues on the senate floor. On occasion, Miss Valentine has also met with the Lieutenant Governor and the treasurer.
Until a few years ago, she also made a formal presentation to the Colorado House of Representatives. Today, she is introduced, and the representative for District 51 talks about the Loveland Valentine program. This is an exciting opportunity for Miss Loveland Valentine and the entire community shares her excitement.
Jeanette Rojas is the 47th young woman to serve as Miss Loveland Valentine, and the first Hispanic to hold this title, of which she is very proud. During the judging when she was asked, 'What influence do you think being Miss Loveland Valentine will have on your life?' she didn't hesitate. As a child growing up in Loveland, Miss Valentines visited my elementary school classes, and like all the other girls, I've always wanted to be Miss Valentine. But they have never looked like me. I have a different face, so it would change the look of Miss Valentine.
A senior at Mountain View High School, Jeanette has been in advanced placement classes, in the National Honors Society, basketball, and track for four years, two years of which she lettered in track and in academics. She is a dancer in the Grupo Folklorico Raqices De Mexico, on the planning committee for Loveland's Hispanic Latino Leadership Institute. Jeanette is the recipient of Rotary Youth Leadership Award, Girls State participant, Daniels Fund Scholarship nominee, and is a Dottie Lamm Scholarship nominee. She is a member of Sister to Sister Celebrating Diversity, Shoes for the Sole committee chair, and Relay for Life high school chair. This young woman volunteers as a dance instructor for young beginner dance members of the Folklorico group, a home builder for Habitat for Humanity, tutors high school students, and serves as nursery volunteer, sound technician, Sunday school teacher in her church, and many other volunteer positions. In response to another question about issues facing high school students today, she said, "I don't even know what I'm going to wear tomorrow. I think young people are pressured to grow up too fast. I want to enjoy being a teenager first." However, she does have an overall goal to be a child advocate attorney. She plans on attending DU or the University of New Mexico.

The perfect card says what is in your heart - and to get that you need to check out the awesome selection of Personalized Valentine's Day Cards, handmade by Crafty-Fox.

The "Shiny Love" card shown here is just one of their beautiful designs. Visit the website to see the full selection of cards available.

The Loveland Chamber of Commerce each year produces the "Official Loveland Valentine Card." This card is generated from the creative works of local artists and residents who design the card front, inside verse, and the cachet stamp. Mary Landis, local artist, designed the 2008 Card.
The verse for this year's card was written by Lenora Lovett.
From the heart of the Rockies
To loved ones worldwide
Comes the message of Love
that flies to your side.
From the true Sweetheart City
Comes Valentine cheer
Not just for that day
But all through your year.
The 2008 Official Loveland Valentine Card is available at more than 35 retail outlets in Loveland for $2.25.