articles

Show Your Love with a Hand-Stamped Valentine from Loveland

The Sweetheart City's Valentineโ€™s Re-mailing Program is in Full Swing!

By Christen Reiner, Macaroni KID Lakewood-Littleton, Macaroni KID Denver, and Macaroni KID Highlands Ranch-Parker-Castle Rock-Lone Tree Editor and Publisher January 15, 2025

Show your Valentines a little extra love this year with a hand-stamped Valentine from our very own Sweetheart City... Loveland! โค๏ธ

The Loveland Commerce and Loveland Postal Service is celebrating a 79 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 79 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.  


How Do I Participate?

If you want your cards to be stamped with the cachet and special cancellation verse, you can choose one of several options:

๐Ÿ’Ÿ Send your own 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)

PRO TIP: The Post Office recommends using black or blue ink to ensure timely delivery of Valentines.

  • For Valentine's Day delivery, the Loveland Post Office must receive your cards by:
    • January 29, 2025 for International mail
    • February 7, 2025 for US states
    • February 10, 2025 for Colorado and Wyoming
  • Stamp the larger envelope and address it as follows: 

Postmaster – Attention Valentines  
446 E 29th St
Loveland, CO 80538-9998


๐Ÿ’Ÿ Drop off your Valentines in Loveland 


๐Ÿ’Ÿ 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.

๐Ÿ’Ÿ Use a Love Forever Stamp to make your Valentine's Day card even more special


Deadlines for Valentine’s Day Delivery

January 29, 2025 for International mail
February 7, 2025 for US states
February 10, 2025 for Colorado and Wyoming


Fun Facts about the Valentine Re-mailing Program

๐Ÿ’Ÿ Each year, volunteers from the Valentine Re-mailing Program lovingly stamp and re-mail Valentines from all 50 states, and more than 110 countries. 

๐Ÿ’Ÿ It is the largest program of its kind in the United States.

๐Ÿ’Ÿ Over 50 original Valentine Volunteers stamp the envelopes... and over 100 are on a waiting list to help stamp! 

๐Ÿ’Ÿ Stamping and re-mailing take place during the first two weeks of February, and Valentines are stamped and sent on the day they arrive.

๐Ÿ’Ÿ 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.