Sept. 11 leads to greeting cards emphasizing pride, patriotism

Advertiser Staff and News Services

American Greetings has launched a new line of patriotic cards called America Forever. Ten percent of all sales will be donated to the American Red Cross disaster relief efforts.

The message on the card reads, "It is in life's hardest moments, our heroes shine the brightest."

It's just one in a new line created by American Greetings to help Americans express complex emotions stirred up by the events of Sept. 11. Whether sadness and uncertainty or courage and optimism, the new line, called America Forever, probably has a card that suits the emotions one may be feeling.

Another card features a desk with items on it like a little flag, a trumpet and a miniature Statue of Liberty. The cover reads, "At a time such as this, we can't help remembering how fragile life is ..."

The inside message: "Wishing you strength in the love of family and in the warm embrace of friends."

The process of creating a card at American Greetings usually takes about a year to 18 months, but the America Forever cards went from conception to finished product in just six days. Unlike other American Greetings cards made purely with corporate profits in mind, the new cards were born partly out of human emotions.

Ten percent of all sales from the America Forever line will be donated to the American Red Cross disaster relief efforts. The cards are available wherever American Greetings cards are sold, including Kmart and Wal-Mart.

Hallmark Inc., American Greetings' main competitor, has also launched a line of patriotic cards available at Hallmark shops, made in response to the terrorist attacks.

For more information, visit americangreetings.com or hallmark.com.