Livestrong

I first saw a real, yellow Livestrong bracelet last spring; then, like every other new thing that comes along, I started seeing them more and more. I read quotations from some cancer patients, survivors, and their families, saying that they got a little burst of hope of solidarity whenever they saw that flash of yellow peeking out from under a shirt sleeve. What a great idea, I thought. Someone gave one to Stephanie, and although I suspected that she was wearing it just as a fashion statement, I knew that the proceeds helped support cancer research efforts. Then she started coming home from school talking about her friends who had "pink Livestrongs" and "green Livestrongs" and so on, as if "Livestrong" just meant "flexible rubber bracelet that says something on it." I kept telling her, "There is only one Livestrong, and it's yellow, and it's named after Lance Armstrong...[blahblahblahblah]." [Then, come to find out that the name"Livestrong" was not trademarked, so anyone can in fact call their flexible rubber bracelet that says something on it a "Livestrong."] So. Some of the bracelets say things on them like "Dream" or "Spirit" and aren't aligned with any charity; I think these are abominations. Same goes for the Red Sox and Patriots (or substitute your own home-town teams; I'm sure they're ubiquitous by now) bracelets. But I'm torn on the ones for charity. If kids are eager to get more and more of them, and each one costs money that goes to a worthy cause, is that a good thing? There's a trend at our school for an adult to buy a bunch of them and give them out to his/her child's classmates. So Stephanie has a red one for Marfan Syndrome and a green one for Partners in Health and a blue one for I-Forget-What-Already and so on. I don't know; I guess I just can't stand that these bracelets have become yet another thing for kids to hoard and count. I see kids wearing dozens of them on one arm, almost like a cast! Do these kids know what cause each one represents? I doubt it. Is this going on everywhere, or just here?

Comments

[Margaret]

Yes, it's the latest trend around here lately too. I hate bracelets and wear none, even rubber ones. I don't like the feeling of constriction or movement when I move my wrist.

[Steve Wright]

I think bracelets can be a helpful tool in raising public awareness. Check out "one.org" for yet another color. My kids wear one and they know what it stands for.

[Kirsty]

The same is true over in the UK too. I saw some dodgy copies being sold at market the other week.
The most popular are the Livestrong, the pink breast cancer ones, and the black and white ones (anti-racism I think). There's also a pouplar anti-bullying one that kids either seem to get bullied for wearing one, or get intimidated into giving it away to the bully themselves as they fashionable.
You've blogged about it now - when Google finds it the comments section will soon be full of young people begging you for bands.

[Brooke]

These bracelets are also dangerous because they closely resemble the medical bracelets people wear which represent DNR (do not resuscitate) and DNI (do not intubate). A man in FL died because when he was taken to the hospital someone saw him livestrong bracelet, assumed it was a DNR bracelet and did not resuscitate him.

[Kathy]

They are big here in Atlanta, and there was even a big to do at my school because the assistant principal forbid the kids to wear them to school because our uniform code says "no bracelets". I was surprised that even some PARENTS complained about the kids not being bale to wear them. At my son's baseball game the other day our pitcher had 3 of them on in different colors and the other team asked him to take them off because they were distrcting.

[terrilynn]

One of the classes at L's school sold black ones with EXCEL in purple letters (school colors) to raise money for something or other. And we have also been solicited or otherwise made aware that a couple of different diabetes organizations are selling them and of course we're suckers when it comes to diabetes fundraising and awareness efforts.

He doesn't wear his, though; he says they're uncomfortable and I would think especially so in the heat and humidity of summer in the south.

[J_Bo]

That's funny you write about them...my daughter wanted a breast cancer one only because it was pink...but I just read something over on 5ives.com which gave me a chuckle:

Five things I’d like to see engraved on little rubber bracelets
1. Nap Strong
2. My Other Bracelet is Fighting Colon Cancer
3. America: Shut Thy Pie Hole
4. Kiss Me, I’m Trendy
5. Please Watch Arrested Development