h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Apparently some businesses are making money by selling knock-offs of the Lance Armstrong Foundation's Livestrong arm bands. Over 40 million bands have been sold by the foundation with the money going to cancer research.

Apparently some companies that make "novelties" and such are making the bands and selling them all over the place with little or none of it going to cancer research or any sort of charity. This includes the bands on eBay and other places.

Know the real ones from the fakes. Here's how:

The real bands come in only 1 color - Lance's trademark yellow.
They are alwasy $1 - no more, no less. Thought the laf.org site sells them in packs of 10 or 100 and not singly.
Make sure they are in their correct package with the correct tags for the foundation.

Finally - According to the Lance Armstrong Foundation they only sell the bands at 4 places. They are:

The Lance Armstrong Foundation's website - www.laf.org
Build-A-Bear Workshops
Discovery Channel Stores
Selected Nike stores

Any other place, including convenience stores and such, selling the bands are very likely selling fakes. Ask for proof they are real before you buy.

I've seen lots of those little bands in a variety of colors, promoting all sorts of different causes or no cause at all, in the case of those being sold as "power bands" with words like Peace, Romance or Happiness on them.

Those I have no problem with. There are actually knock-offs of the livestrong bands out there though.

It's the only thing some humans can do, follow not lead, copy not innovate, and the only way the rest of us can do really , is try and buy the orignal, by doing your reasurch before hand.
All so remember if it's so cheap it's probly a fake or bootleg or something else that not all true!

a very valid rant!

Darn it all. I accidentally clicked the link to remove this from my journal. Obviously not one of my brighter moves.

The thing is the bracelets are only $1.00 - the knock offs are often going for more. Go figure. Pay $1.00 to help cancer research and get an original or pay several times that (up to $5.00 - I think one went on eBay for like 25.00) for absolute BS that benefits nobody.

I feel no need to show the charities to which I donate. So instead of wearing a wristband, etc. I just toss cash.
Naturally when certain charity events come up I have been known to buy and cut up a few tee shirts to fit the occasion(s).
I've cut this Rehab tee THREE times and it's STILL too short!

The thing is these bracelets have become very trendy. Something that helps with getting the money for research. People who may not donate still want these bracelets because all their friends are wearing them. It was really a good marketing strategy except for the w**kers that profit at the cost of important research.

If you read the article the same people who are happy to put out the fake bracelets state they won't do the Tsunami relief ones because it's too soon afterward and that would be terrible. Of course they go on to say if the competition makes money on them they'd jump right in.