The American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes Inc. have announced the third annual Holiday Mail for Heroes program to deliver holiday cards to service members, their families and veterans.

The public is invited to send cards with messages that the Red Cross and Pitney Bowes will screen for hazardous materials, sort, package and deliver to military bases and hospitals, veterans hospitals and other locations during the holidays. Pitney Bowes will provide all screening, packaging and shipping at no charge.

The Red Cross will use hundreds of volunteers to sort and box cards for delivery to service men and women, veterans and family members in November and December.

"It's an honor for our community to help make the holidays special for American heroes," said Cheryl Hancock, executive director of the Scenic Bluffs Chapter of the Red Cross in La Crosse.

Holiday cards should be addressed and sent to: Holiday Mail for Heroes, P.O. Box 5456, Capital Heights, MD 20791-5456. Be sure to affix adequate postage. Cards must be received by Dec. 7. Those received after that date will be returned to senders.

For more information, go to www.Redcross.org/ holidaymail.