The Powell Post Office is going pink this month.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the Powell Post Office is raising money for a cure one stamp at a time.

Participating post offices are encouraging customers to purchase Breast Cancer Research (BCR) Stamps through Oct. 31. A regular forever stamp costs 49 cents. The BCR stamp price is 60 cents.

Of the 11 cents extra accumulated from each BCR stamp, 70 percent of those proceeds are transferred to the National Institutes of Health for cancer research and the other 30 percent to the Medical Research Program of the Department of Defense, according to the U.S. Postal Service.

As of Monday, Powell Post Office had sold $1,301.40 worth of BCR stamps. That is more BCR stamps than any post office in the Wyoming/Colorado district except Denver. Denver came in No. 1 at $1,320, said Krista Schoening, Powell Post Office officer in charge.

Powell Post Office’s goal is to sell $10,000 worth of BCR stamps by the end of the month. They’re offering enticing incentives for both customers and employees.

From her own pocket, Powell Postmaster Wendy Trautman bought five sheets of 20 philatelic (collectable) BCR stamps. Customers purchasing sheets of 20 BCR stamps have the option of entering their name in a drawing that will randomly select five names for the five sheets, Schoening said. Those stamps are keepers. “It’s a collector’s item,” Schoening said.

Schoening said she bought a $50 gift card for her postal clerks to divvy up as they see fit, if they sell $10,000 in BCR stamps.

Schoening is putting her money — or, rather, her hair — where her mouth is, literally.

If the clerks sell $10 grand in stamps, she’ll have her hair dyed pink, she said. “I hope to be pink very soon.”

Schoening said she believes the incentives are encouraging the clerks to sell stamps and the clerks are informing customers of the difference they are making contributing to breast cancer research.

Customers should note BCR stamps can be purchased year-round, according to the U.S. Postal Service. When a customer purchases a sheet of BCR stamps, he or she is taking an active role in restoring hope to thousands of hearts, homes and American communities. Since its release in July 1998, the service’s BCR stamps have generated nearly $81 million for cancer research.

“Any day is a great day to use the BCR stamp on greeting cards, bills and other correspondence,” said Colorado/Wyoming Marketing Manager Catherine Knox. “Until there is a cure for breast cancer, we can’t relax, and the Breast Cancer Research Stamp is a great way to make a difference.”

Eleven extra cents per stamp shouldn’t negatively impact most customers’ budgets. “It’s really not a huge amount we’re asking extra and it’s such a great cause it goes to,” Schoening said.

A forever stamp can be used to mail a 1-ounce letter, regardless of when the stamp was purchased and no matter how prices may change in the future, according to the service.

If everyone in the community bought one 20-stamp pack, the post office would be very near its $10,000 goal, Schoening said. Eleven cents from each stamp would total $2,200 for cancer research.