IT'S CRUNCH TIME FOR POST OFFICES AROUND THE COUNTRY, AS THEY RUSH TO DELIVER THE OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF GREETING CARDS AND PACKAGES DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON.
AND DID YOU KNOW THERE'S A POST OFFICE IN OHIO THAT ATTRACTS THOUSANDS OF CARDS DUE TO A FAMILIAR NAME? FOR THIS WEEK'S KNOW OHIO, WE HOP ON THE SLEIGH TO RUDOLPH, OHIO.
LOCATED IN NORTHWEST OHIO JUST SOUTH OF BOWLING GREEN, THE COMMUNITY OF RUDOLPH HAS AN ESTIMATED POPULATION OF JUST UNDER 500 PEOPLE.
THE POST OFFICE IN THE "DEEREST LITTLE VILLAGE IN WOOD COUNTY" DOESN'T SEE MUCH TRAFFIC UNTIL THE MONTH OF DECEMBER.
SINCE THE EARLY 1990s, RUDOLPH HAS BEEN OFFERING A SPECIAL HOLIDAY POSTMARK WITH THE REINDEER'S IMAGE THAT ATTRACTS BETWEEN 70,000 to 100,000 PIECES OF MAIL EACH YEAR. VOLUNTEERS HELP TO KEEP THE TRADITION GOING, JOINING IN TO HELP SORT THE PARCELS.
LETTERS, CHRISTMAS CARDS AND PACKAGES COME IN FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY SEEKING THE RUDOLPH MARK. IT CHANGES EVERY YEAR, AND THIS YEARS DESIGN CAME FROM AN ARTIST IN CINCINNATI.
AND THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE IS JOINING RUDOLPH IN CELEBRATING THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE TELEVISION SPECIAL, 'RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER' WITH FOUR LIMITED EDITION STAMPS.
THE POSTAL SERVICE HELD A SPECIAL CEREMONY IN RUDOLPH, DEDICATING A LARGE VERSION OF THE STAMP FOR THE TOWN TO DISPLAY.
SO IF YOU RECEIVE ANY GREETING CARDS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, DON'T THROW AWAY THE ENVELOPE WITHOUT CHECKING THE POSTMARK FOR THE RED NOSED REINDEER.