News-Banner
Bluffton, Ind.
June 18, 2005

Rubber Bracelet Trend Hits Wells County

By Sarah Pulliam
Every color of the rainbow is on display in Wells County stores and on child, teen and adult wrists.
The rubber bracelet fashion was made popular by Lance Armstrong’s yellow Livestrong bracelets that launched last year to raise money for cancer patients.
Nike developed the bracelet idea, produced the bracelets and donated $1 million to the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF), formed in 1997 after Armstrong survived testicular cancer.
“To date, more than 50 million Livestrong wristbands have been sold at $1 apiece, and we are thrilled about the success of the campaign,” said LAF spokesperson Jennifer Halpin.
According to Halpin, LAF sells an average of 100,000 online every day and has sold wristbands to citizens in more than 60 countries.
Halpin said all of the proceeds from sales benefit the LAF to support the research, education, public health and advocacy campaigns. Approximately 81 percent of the money LAF spends goes directly to programs for people with cancer, 8 percent for fundraising and the rest for administrative.
“For Lance and many people living with cancer, yellow is the color of hope, courage, inspiration and perseverance – and the color of the leader’s jersey in the Tour de France,” said Mitch Stoller, President and CEO of LAF, in a statement. “Livestrong wristbands allow everyone to share that spirit – especially the millions of people living with cancer.”
Some of the celebrities, politicians and athletes who have worn Livestrong wristbands include Armstrong’s girlfriend Sheryl Crow, Bono, Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, President George Bush, former president Bill Clinton and Sen. John F. Kerry.
Other groups have latched onto the idea, allowing buyers to wear their allegiance to countries, sports teams, religions and disease awareness on their wrists.
A Google search Friday produced 665,000 items found for Livestrong bracelets and 1,270,000 items for rubber bracelets.
An eBay search Thursday displayed 1,803 items found for Livestrong bracelets and 1,680 items for rubber bracelets.
Collectors Paradise’s Web site advertises in camouflage, tie dye and glitter bracelets in multiple colors.
Some of the wristbands displayed were purple “Mindstrong” for Alzheimer’s Disease awareness, yellow “Rest in Peace” for Pope John Paul II and “Kiss Me” in multiple colors.

Wells County Schools
Norwell High School nurse, Sandy Langel, sold more than 120 purple $2 “Hope Courage Faith” bracelets in May.
The bracelets were sold for a week to raise money for the Relay for Life June 24 and 25.
Relay for Life is an 18-hour relay event that raises money for the American Cancer Society to help fight cancer .
Langel said the bracelets were a successful way to raise money.
“I think we need to get young people more involved in this, and this is a great way because kids love to wear these,” Langel said.
Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School sold $1 camouflage “Support our Troops” and red, white and blue bracelets throughout April and May for a fundraiser sponsored by teachers Pam Miller and Judy Werling’s fourth-grade classes.
Miller said the classes sold about 1,800 bracelets and the money raised was used to send supplies such as candy, cake mixes and socks to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“A lot of different causes are taking different color bracelets and it really took off quickly,” Miller said.
Southern Wells did not sell rubber bracelets during the school year, according to Principal James Schwarzkopf.

Churches
First Church of Christ is giving purple “WWJD” (What Would Jesus Do) rubber bracelets to kids in participating in Vacation Bible School this week, according to Pastor Larry Sprinkle.
“WWJD is filled with lots of potential. What Would Jesus Do serves as a reminder of lifestyle,” Sprinkle said. “I actually have one on my arm right now.”
Bluffton resident Jill Frauhiger began wearing a LiveStrong bracelet last month in honor of her mother who was diagnosed with cancer in April. Frauhiger received the bracelet from a friend at Life Church who gave it to her.
Hope Missionary Church distributed more than 30 green “Save Darfur” bracelets May 15 to raise awareness of the crisis in Darfur region in Sudan.
The Save Darfur Coalition was formed to raise awareness and advocate efforts to end suffering created by government militias who are destroying communities of African tribal farmers, according to the Web site.
Associate Pastor Matt Hartsell said he made a donation to a Web site to buy the bracelets, and then 215 church members signed a petition for the United States to intervene.
Hartsell said the bracelets were a success.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Hartsell said. “Every time somebody sees it, it reminds them to intervene, write a congressman, say a prayer.”

Hospitals
The Associated Press (AP) reported that a hospital chain is taping over Livestrong bracelets because they are the same color as “do not resuscitate” for patients who do not want to be revived if their heart stops.
Hospitals such as BayCare Health Systems, use bracelets to quickly tell doctors and nurses instructions for the patient. No mix-ups have been reported, according to the AP.
Betsy Needler, public relations specialist at Bluffton Regional Medical Center, said that the hospital uses color coded bracelets.
“We don’t foresee a problem with the nurses confusing the bracelets because the design is so different,” Needler said. “The rubber bracelets are thicker and not as wide as the bracelets we use to indicate allergies, ‘do not resuscitate’ or even the name band.”
Needler said the different color bracelets include clear for name bands, red for allergies and blue for “do not resuscitate.”
“Where this would most likely be a problem is in surgery where the patients can’t speak for themselves,” she said. “There is a policy to remove or tape over any jewelry whether it’s a wrist band or an earring they’re not going to to take out.”

Bluffton stores
Wal-Mart is selling blank tie dye bracelets, light pink bands to promote breast cancer awareness. The store also sells various colored No Boundaries bracelets that have numerous sayings, including “Chillax,” “Brat” and “Hottie.”
Walgreens is selling “Class of 2005” rubber bracelets in various colors while Hallmark is selling “Love Life” in pale colors.
Pak-a-Sak on Wabash and S. Main streets are selling “Git-R-Done” bands in red, black and green to promote the Diabetes Research Institute.
Good Shepherd bookstore is selling “WWJD” in purple, “Jesus” in green and red “Live for Him” bracelets.
For each “Live for Him” bracelet sold, 25 cents are donated to Compassion International, an organization that sponsors orphans in third-world countries, according to Robin Gentis, a Good Shepherd employee. Gentis said three months ago, more than $25,000 was raised for the organization because of the bracelets.
“I’m sure they all got started from the Livestrong,” she said.

Opinions
Bluffton resident Amber Winchester said she likes the bracelets if they have a purpose.
“When Adidas and Nike were making them, it was defeating the purpose of the awareness bracelets,” she said.
While some in Bluffton wear multiple rubber bracelets, others don’t like them.
Bluffton High School student Jace Hill, 14, thinks the bracelets will die out eventually.
“I think they’re kind of stupid,” Hill said. “I started disliking them because everybody was wearing them and I just got sick of seeing them.”
Briena Stoller, 15, finds the bracelets easy to collect but doesn’t always wear her 15 bands.
“Sometimes they can get annoying,” said Stoller, a Bluffton High School student. “They stretch out kind of easily.”
Regardless of whether the fashion bug appeals to everyone, they will continue to sell in Wells County.
Alicia Moser, a Norwell High School student sported a red “Live for Him” bracelet she bought at Good Shepherd.
“It’s a pretty big thing at Norwell,” Moser said. “Most people have a couple and they change them according to their outfits.”
Moser said she had 10 bracelets, pointed to her elbow and said, “I have one friend who wears them up to here.”

(graph)
DECADES FADS

1920s
Flagpole Sitting - This fad became a popular spectator sport. It was started by a pro stuntman who eventually set the world record at 49 days.

1930s
Stamp Collecting - With the help of President Roosevelt and less income to spend on leisure due to the depression, this fad became popular.

1940s
Swallowing Goldfish - A fad that was very popular among college students and drew crowds of spectators who wanted to witness this.

1950s
Hula Hoop - One of the biggest fads of all time is the hula-hoop, invented in 1957, by an Australian. The name came from the Hawaiian dance.

1960s
Tie Dye T-shirts- Nothing said 'psychedelia' better than the rainbow explosion of swirling colors and bold designs of the ancient art of tie-dye.

1970s
Streaking- The craze of taking off all clothes and running across the field at major sporting events.

1980s
Video Arcades- There are many arcades now, but during the ‘80s, they were the “in” place to hangout.

1990s
Tattoos - Previously, people would get a tattoo to stand out, but in the ‘90s people were inking up with tattoos to blend in.

2000s
Pocket Bikes - Smaller and slower version of a motorcycle. Illegal to drive almost everywhere but people still buy them.

Information compiled from http://crazyfads.com. Lance Armstrong’s yellow Livestrong bracelets were included in the 2000s fads. More than 50 million bracelets have been sold across the globe.