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Show Christmas Seals Become a;Part Of Holiday Season , . "Christmas , seals,, mailed, , to Utahns for. the . 56th year, are now as much part of the Christmas Christ-mas scene as trees, reindeer and Santa Claus," Gene Fullmer said Thursday. . , Gene is honorary chairman for the 1962 Christmas Seal campaign, cam-paign, sponsored in Utah by the Utah Tuberculosis and Health Association. "The story of the first Christmas Christ-mas seal is . an interesting example ex-ample of American community service and determination. It's a story of traditional . American enterprise," said Gene. Just before Christmas in 1907, Emily Bissell, a civic leader in Delaware, was asked to raise $300 to save a small tuberculosis treatment center in that state. Without the funds, the center would close and TB patients turned out in the street. Then Miss Bissell, a Red Cross Volunteer, read an article by Jacob Riis. a Danish American writer and philanthropist; Mr. Riis had received on his mail from Denmark a Christmas seal sold there to help support a hospital hos-pital ' for tuberculosis children. He suggested that the same thing be done in America. Emily Bissell persuaded a printer to turn out some seals. They were put on sale for one penny apiece. Because of a lack of publicity they didn't sell until a paper in Philadelphia, the North American, completely encircled en-circled the front page with Miss Bissell's Christmas Seals. Result Re-sult proceeds of $3,000 instead of the $300 Miss Bissell sought. The TB center was saved and patients who might have otherwise other-wise have infected others . were kept under treatment. The next year, 1908, was the first nation wide distribution of Christmas Seals. Since that time 7 million lives have been saved from tuberculosis. "Now the little colorful seals are very much a part of good holiday cheer. Many families who have changed address or do not receive their Seal letter may write the State TB Association in Salt Lake City for the Seals," Gene said. "Christmas Seal contributions help to find people ill with TB; provide some of the necessary services for TB patients; encourage encou-rage legislation needed for aid public health agnecies; and promote pro-mote the health of the commu-munity. commu-munity. I urge you to mail your contribution today." |