Lance Armstrong is a retired American professional road racing cyclist who is most famous for recovering from testicular cancer & subsequently winning the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times—1999 to 2005!
During the summer of 2004, the Lance Armstrong Foundation (with initial funding from Nike), developed the Livestrong wristband. The LiveStrong band is ONLY yellow & is part of the Wear Yellow Live Strong educational program, intended to support cancer victims and survivors and to raise awareness about cancer.
The band became an instant hit in the USA and by May of this year (2005) over 50 million Livestrong wristbands have been sold - and since each band symbolises a dollar donated to cancer research, it’s $ 50 million raised for cancer research by the LiveStrong Foundation in just a year.
So far so good.
A couple of months ago a friend of mine came back from holidaying in the States. He had on him the LiveStrong band & told me a little about what it was about. He had lost his dad to cancer and knowing it was a sensitive topic, I didn’t ask him any more details.
However a few weeks after that another friend came back from the States & he was wearing multiple colored bands - black, white, pink….
I didn’t ask him what they were about but the way he changed bands with his clothes led me to feel it was more about fashion to him than an outward sign of support to something he believed in supporting.
Last Saturday when I went shopping in South Mumbai, I saw tons of “carts” on the streets of Colaba selling bands of every possible color - at prices like INR 20 (if you know Colaba, that mean they’d even sell them for 10). Obviously they were not the real deal. Obviously none of that INR 10 is reaching the LiveStrong Cancer research foundation.
The next day Sunday, I went out with a friend who’s down from the UK. He too was wearing many multiple colored bands. I begged him to take them off - if you’re not supporting the causes they’re endorsing, don’t wear them. He didn’t listen to me - until we saw (and I say this in the nicest way, since I’m a mac myself) the most mac women (complete with stiched floral blouse & black pleated skirt) also wearing an assortment of bands on their hands.
Off came all the bands.
Here’s my take on it all - DON’T wear the bands as a fashion statement just because they’re cool in the States… (why the heck we Indians think ape-ing the States is cool anyway is beyond me). If you’re wearing the bands just as a fashion statement, then you’re making a mockery of a cause that is important to many people.
If you truly feel led to support the cause, buy the band DIRECTLY from the LiveStrong foundation and you can be sure that your money will actually go towards cancer research.
And then & only then will wearing that band on your hand make any sense.
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August 20th, 2005 at 12:09 am
That is so true.
there are so many freakshows in my college wearing duplicate livestrong bands and even some other bands which say “LIVESTRONGER” “ANTI-AIDS” and “TOBACCO FREE”.
seesh !! get a life people… !!
August 20th, 2005 at 7:46 pm
“Seesh” is right!
August 23rd, 2005 at 11:13 am
Very interesting. Here, in Kuwait, we’ve yet to see a single band, original or otherwise! I have
emailed your blog url to all my friends. It’s a fantastic, well written blog.
August 23rd, 2005 at 7:04 pm
Yesterday after my discipleship I was amazed to see a coloured band on one of our brothers hand,so I went up to him and as I held his hand thinking I would see “LiveStrong” on the band …Guess what I saw…”John 3:16″
and whats interesting is that he has got this band from Kuwait..
August 25th, 2005 at 8:11 am
Where you been??? Haven’t heard from you in AGES… & then yesterday Eli, Del & I are having lunch & we’re discussing a certain “Hot or Not” candidate
(do ya remember??) and somehow remembered you too… coincidence??
Thx for what you said about the blog, hope to see ya around more often!
August 25th, 2005 at 8:16 am
The things people will resort to, to make money!
August 27th, 2005 at 1:40 am
Ah! This proves what I’ve doubted so far …. I don’t know what’s happening in Kuwait!!!! Where am I? In the middle of a desert??? LOL!
August 28th, 2005 at 12:04 am
hey…out here there are fake livestrong bands for 65 bucks apeice . that works out to even more than you’llpay for the originals . and you get em in a variety of colours. the black one looks really cool.
August 30th, 2005 at 4:46 pm
thanks for the link…Melody ,i will certainly buy a 10s pack.
August 30th, 2005 at 5:39 pm
January 26th, 2006 at 9:35 am
Yes I totally agree with you. There is a cause and purpose to wear these bands. But people have made a mockery of it here in India. I dont blame the educated. Its not a style theme, its a good cause people wear it. Its a donation made by an individual towards a good cause. People please grow up.
January 28th, 2007 at 1:54 am
Red, Blue, Black bands is crazy!
The original band is yellow. Thats coz, the lead cyclist at Tour de France wears a yellow jersey - maillot jaune. Lance has been a seven-time winner of the tour…
‘Not About the Bike’ is a very well written account of his life - both as a cancer survivor and as a biker. Loved this fast paced text! Esp, for his candid accounts of fight with cancer, his comeback into pro-sports, the relationship with his wife, the IVF…
The original bands are made of quality silicone rubber. The cheap ones that I’ve come across seem to be made of cheap quality rubber.
Mel, thank you very much for posting this. Don’t quite know how many people are really aware of this fact.
Well, Lance has been dragged into some drug-related allegations as well. Technically, he has come clean every time. I would rather believe that the media has hyped those allegations more than anything else…
January 28th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
@ Roaming Panda: Actually didn’t know the part about the yellow coming from the lead jersey - thx for the info!
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Dear Sir,
I have some requarement of Live Strong Band in Night Glow & light Green Colour
for Hand use (Friend Ship) so please send me details of my requarement.
Thanks
(Vijay Sutar)
98672 05426