Livestrong wristband

The Livestrong wristband is a yellow wristband developed by cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong in the summer of 2004. The band is part of the Wear Yellow Live Strong educational program, intended to support cancer victims and survivors and raise awareness about cancer. The band sells in packs of 10, 100, and 1200 as part of an effort to raise $5 million for the Lance Armstrong Foundation in cooperation with Nike who manufacture and donate the wristbands. Individual bands sell for States dollar|US$" target="_blank" >^*1 each. Yellow was chosen for its importance in professional cycling, as it is the color of the yellow jersey worn by the leader of the Tour de France. Other bracelets for similar purposes, known as awareness bracelets, have become increasingly popular.

The band became an extremely popular item in the United States by the end of the summer of 2004, first appearing on a majority of the contenders at the 2004 Tour de France. Personalities such as 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, news anchor Katie Couric, actor Matt Damon, and several athletes at the Athens Olympic Games wore the band. Such visibilty may be part of the reason that the bands have attained fashionable status—along with a strong desire to appear sensitive to the problems of others. A rush to purchase the bands resulted in profiteering through such venues as eBay, allegedly angering Armstrong. As a result of the fashion properties Counterfeit wristbands are also widely available, detracting from the cause.

By the summer of 2005, the yellow Live Strong wristband had also become extremely popular in other countries, especially Mexico and Canada.

The bracelets are yellow and made of silicone rubber, with the motto "Live Strong" (rendered on the bracelet as "LIVESTRONG") on them. As of March 2005, over 58 million wristbands have been purchased.

The Livestrong Wristbands have inspired numerous other wristbands for charities and various political causes, including wristbands for breast cancer (pink), diabetes (various colors) and epilepsy (half blue, half red).

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