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Lance Armstrong, Champion Cyclist and a cancer survivor started Lance Armstrong Foundation in the year 1997. It is a nonprofit organization which supports people suffering from cancer. The mission of this foundation is to inspire and empower the patients suffering from cancer and the families of the cancer victims. Lance Armstrong Foundation is located in Austin, Texas. They also provide tools and information to the cancer survivors. They provide support in terms of education, counseling and references to people with cancer and these services are provided free and is confidential. They help the patients in concerns regarding diagnosis and treatment of cancer, finance and insurance concerns, fertility preservation etc.
October 2 is celebrated as Livestrong Day, A day of action against cancer. It is also the anniversary of diagnosis of Lance Armstrong’s cancer. On this day they celebrate survivorship and work towards a cancer free world.
In the month of May 2004 Lance Armstrong Foundation launched a yellow silicone gel bracelet known as Livestrong Bracelets. These were fund raising items and was designed and manufactured by Nike along with its ad agency Wieden-Kennedy. It is a part of their educational campaign ‘Wear yellow, Live Strong’. And this campaign was aimed to raise funds for cancer research, awareness and to encourage the affected. The bracelets are available individually or in the packs of 10s, 100s and 1200. They had aimed to raise about 25 million USD. These bracelets are manufactured by Nike and sold in their outlets all throughout the world. More than 70 million bracelets have been sold till date. Many organizations, inspired by the success of these bracelets, have come out with their own bracelets to raise money. Livestrong bracelets were a hit and it became a fashion accessory. Majority of the Tour de France 2004 contenders wore this bracelet, followed by famous personalities and celebrities which helped in raising the profit remarkably.
