CardSmart Sends Valentine To America At New York's Grand Central Station In Pitney Bowes Event As TV Star Jamie-Lynn DiScala of The Sopranos" Highlights Event

CardSmart is sending an I Love america" Valentine at New York's famed commuter location, Grand Central Station, as part of a Pitney Bowes-sponsored event during which commuters got free Valentines cards to mail with free postage to their friends and loved ones. TV star Jamie-Lynn DiScala, who plays Meadow Soprano on the HBO hit, The Sopranos," reminded commuters to let their loved ones know just how they feel.

New York City (PRWEB) February 13, 2004 -- CardSmart is sending an I Love New York" Valentine at Americas most famous railroad commuter location, Grand Central Station, as part of a wonderful Pitney Bowes-sponsored event on Tuesday, February 10th, at which commuters will be given free Valentines cards to mail with free postage to their friends and loved ones.
   CardSmart, the national franchisor and marketer of everyday half-price greeting cards, joined with mailing technology solution leader Pitney Bowes to provide beautiful hand-made Valentine cards for commuters visiting Pitney Bowes kiosks that will dot massive Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Station.
   Petter Etholm, President of CardSmart Retail Corporation, said, We wanted to bring a smile to the Big Apple since New Yorkers make our country's biggest city work so well, in the face of terror attacks and international tensions. We are happy to donate cards to help draw attention to the importance of remembering loved ones on Valentine's Day, February 14th."
   Highlighting the event, TV star Jamie-Lynn DiScala, who plays Meadow Soprano on the Emmy Award winning HBO hit, The Sopranos," will greet commuters and remind them to let their loved ones know just how they feel. DiScala, along with a team of professional romance writers will offer busy commuters tips on writing a meaningful, thoughtful and unique last minute Valentines Day card for the special people in their lives.
   Etholm said, Our CardSmart stores nationwide participate in community activities through our 'CardSmart Cares program. Recently, each store gave away free patriotic cards to anyone wishing to send one to a member of Americas armed forces, and no purchase was required."
   He noted, Valentine's Day has a prominent place in greeting card history. After Christmas, its the second biggest card giving day, as more than one billion cards are exchanged in America. Valentine sentiments gained favor as far back as the in the Middle Ages, when lovers also spoke or sang sentiments. Commercially printed cards gained popularity in the 1800s."
   Richard Carty, Vice President of Marketing, added, Valentine's Day tracks to Saint Valentinus, a priest who helped Christians during the time of their persecution in the third century. On the eve of his execution in Rome on February 14th, 269 A.D., he wrote a message to a jailer's kind daughter and signed it 'From Your Valentine. The day he sacrificed his life grew to become a symbol of friendship."
         Carty stated, Each of our CardSmart stores has a full array of Valentine cards in a wonderful shopping environment." He added that a national store survey showed that 99% of CardSmart shoppers are 'very well satisfied,' 95% call CardSmart 'one of the best' card shops, 91% say CardSmart offers 'very good to excellent' value and 98% of CardSmart shoppers plan to return to the stores.
   CardSmart Retail Corporation, headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, is a national chain of franchised and company-owned stores that offer consumers 50% off every card, every day. Featuring a full-line of 20,000 beautifully designed greeting cards, CardSmarts value-oriented strategy has developed an expanding base of loyal and appreciative consumers. More information about CardSmart is available at CardSmarts website, www.cardsmart.com.
###