By now you should be familiar with the yellow 'LiveStrong' rubber

cancer awareness bracelets. They were popularized by seven-time

Tour de France cycling champion and cancer survivor Lance

Armstrong. The money from their proceeds goes for cancer

research.

If he has planning to pitchfork cancer awareness into society's

consciousness, Lance Armstrong has done a really good job. His

rubber bracelets are ubiquitous today, an ever present awareness

tool for cancer, and a fund-raising tool for cancer research.

Among cancer awareness bracelets, next to Armstrong's rubber

wristbands come the breast cancer awareness bracelets.

However, unlike the 'LiveStrong' rubber band bracelets, these

breast cancer awareness bracelets come in different colors. The

most popular color for breast cancer awareness bracelets is pink.

But why pink? There is a story behind it: Charlotte Haley, a 68-

year-old woman, began making and distributing peach ribbons in

the 1990s with cards that read: "The National Cancer Institute

annual budget is $1.8 billion, only 5 percent goes for cancer

prevention. Help us wake up our legislators and America by

wearing this ribbon." Haley's daughter, sister and grandmother

had breast cancer. Self magazine wanted to use Haley's

ribbon but she refused saying they were too commercial. The

magazine came up with another color then -- pink. Focus groups

say pink is 'soothing, comforting and healing.' Soon the pink ribbon

became the worldwide symbol for breast cancer, and Charlotte

Haley's peach ribbon was history.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. says that more than

211,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in America in

2005. Of these 43,300 will die. One woman in eight either has or

will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. In addition, 1,600 men

will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 400 will die this year.

However, the breast cancer awareness bracelets can come in all

colors, a rainbow of them, depending on the organization or

charity selling them. These bracelets usually have some message,

such as 'Support Breast Cancer Research And Education' stamped

on them.

Well, the breast cancer awareness bracelets needn't be made of

rubber or silicone either. The bracelets can be made of pearl, or

cats eye, or metal, or any other suitable material. There are even

stainless steel breast cancer awareness bracelets! The difference

between them is, of course, the price. The rubber ones would sell

for around $1 a piece. The metal ones would sell higher. Some

pearl breast cancer awareness bracelets sell for around $30 a

piece. Such bracelets serve two purposes -- they are jewelry and

also spread the message of charity and breast cancer research.

The advantage with rubber breast cancer awareness bracelets,

apart from the price, is that they are infinitely customizable. Yes,

you can order them in any color and with any message stamped on

them. You needn't take them off while washing or playing -- they

are all-weather bracelets. And you don't have to worry about

losing them, unlike the pearl or cats eye ones.

The rubber breast cancer awareness bracelets can be ordered in

bulk or bought in packets of a dozen or so from many Web sites.