Call it the slap bracelet of the 21st century.
Since May, yellow bands have bedecked millions of wrists all over the world. And they are still going strong.
The bands are the brainchild of the Nike Corporation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Lance Armstrong is a cancer survivor and six-time winner of the Tour de France.
About 150,000 of the $1 wristbands are sold every day, and there is a four-week shipping delay on all new orders, according to the Lance Armstrong Foundation Web site.
They are engraved with Armstrong's mantra "Live strong," and are made of silicon rubber.
When the campaign began in May, the foundation's goal was to raise $5 million to benefit programs that help young people living with cancer.
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Michelle Murillo, staff member, wears her yellow band in recognition of her grandmother's death from lung cancer earlier this year.
"It's my way of supporting him, plus just supporting the overall fight against cancer," she said. "Now having experienced somebody in my family, it means that much more. It's a little bit more personal."
Armstrong battled testicular cancer seven years ago. The foundation was established in 1997.
The money raised through wristband sales will also go to the foundation's advocacy, public health, education and research programs.
Student Nate Price has worn his band since July and said he first put it on to support Armstrong in the Tour de France. He said he wears it, because it is for a good cause, even though it has become a huge trend.
More than 20 million bands have been sold in the United States and in more than 60 countries worldwide.
"I realized it was getting trendy, so I took it off," he said. "But then I put it back on. I don't know why. I can't get it off. I want it to break so I never have to put it back on again."
Student Heather Balch got her band from a friend last week and said she isn't concerned that it is becoming trendy.
"It's important that people are aware that there's this foundation out there that is raising money to help fight cancer," she said. "If it needs to be trendy to cure cancer, then why not?"
The yellow bands have even inspired imitators looking to capitalize on the popularity of the band.
"I was going to get one of the Lance Armstrong bands this summer, but I didn't want people to think that I was doing it just to be trendy," said Suzanne Lana, who wears a blue Bush-Cheney band in recognition of the president's victory. "The Armstrong bands inspired the Bush campaign to think of another way for people to show their support for the president and the party."
Student Lucas Chavez said the ratio of guys and girls wearing the bracelet is pretty even.
"I think it's pretty unisex," he said. "I mean Lance endorses it, and he's probably the guy of guys."
Facts on testicular cancer
* It accounts for only 1 percent of all cancers in men.
* About 7,500 men in the United States are diagnosed each year.
* It most often occurs in men between the ages of 15 and 39.
* Treatment is more successful when diagnosed early.
* It is more common in Anglos than in African Americans.
* The rate for Anglos has more than doubled in the past 40 years.
* There is an increased risk for cancer in both testicles if it occurs in one.
* The risk is greater in men whose brother or father has had the disease.
Source: National Cancer Institute
