Live strong: It is a commanding phrase, and one that adorns the wrists of men and women all over the UW, as well as across the nation. There is no doubt that these yellow Livestrong wristbands have become a common icon, but the brightly colored and rather cheerful accessories represent more than just a simple fashion trend.

They are the creation of the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF), an organization founded in part by cycling legend Lance Armstrong. Inspired by Lance’s victory against testicular cancer, the wristbands are sold for $1 apiece, with all proceeds benefiting the foundations’ four-part approach to the fight against cancer.

Despite being the first person in history to win six Tour de France championships, Armstrong also fought a much different battle on his way to the six yellow jerseys. In 1996, the same year he was ranked the number one cyclist in the world, Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Having ignored early warning signs, Armstrong’s cancer had already spread throughout his lungs, abdomen and even littered his brain. Out of these unfortunate circumstances, however, Armstrong created his cancer advocacy foundation and the subsequent Livestrong craze ensued.

More specifically, the Livestrong program, support for which is represented by the yellow wristbands, is a division of the LAF designed to provide education to cancer survivors, their families and friends about survivorship from initial diagnosis, throughout treatment and thereafter.

To junior Jon Hickey, a member of the UW men’s cross country and track teams, the yellow wristband is far more poignant than a trend.

“The way I see it, being a cancer survivor, when I see someone wearing a bracelet, I feel like they’re supporting me,” said Hickey.

In April of this year, Hickey was diagnosed with dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, a locally aggressive and extremely rare form of skin cancer. A portion of Hickey’s recovery began with his participation in LAF’s Peloton Project.

“I was in shock. I had track practice right after, and the first person I told was my trainer. The first time I said it out loud I just, you know, started crying. But I still went on my run. It wasn’t going to affect me,” said Hickey.

The Peloton Project is a grassroots fundraising and outreach program comprised of cancer survivors and other volunteers who actively work toward making a difference in their communities. Volunteers’ focus is primarily to raise funds and awareness for the LAF.

Hickey underwent a grueling 10-hour surgery, known as Moh’s surgery, during which he was awake while layers of skin were one by one removed from his forehead, all the way to nearly his skull. Each layer was subject to biopsy in order to test for cancerous cells. Afterwards, he was determined “to try and give back.”

“I knew people were helping out in research and because of them I was able to get though [cancer treatment] a lot easier,” said Hickey.

Once he learned about the LAF’s Peloton Project, he knew immediately that it would provide exactly the sort of campaign he was interested in finding. Following a visit to the foundation’s website and an afternoon of reading about their purpose, Hickey joined.

“I signed up and bought about twenty bracelets,” said Hickey. “Then I started planning my road race.”

As is the design of the Peloton Project, Hickey’s dream of raising awareness and support in his community was made a reality this past August, when he planned and organized the first ever Tri-Cities Race Against Cancer 5K (3.1 miles).

The event, publicized by local newspapers, radio and television stations and sponsored by a local firm for which Hickey interned, successfully raised $3,200, all of which was sent to the Peloton Project. Money aside, Hickey provided the Tri-Cities with a conduit to the survivorship experience.

In December, Hickey will begin planning for next summer’s road race, which he hopes will become an annual event. As for now, Hickey, having just returned from the Pre-Nationals Collegiate Cross Country race in Indiana, is taking a break from his fundraising activities.

Hickey does not care that the symbolic wristband may be adorning less people who are largely unaware of the project’s purpose.

“I like seeing people wear them, whether it is a fad or not,” Hickey said. He has been distributing the wristbands to friends in recent months in the hopes of spreading awareness about the Peloton Project and the LAF as a whole.

“Starting in the first week in July, people were in the store daily,” said Jon Salerno, 24, an employee at Super Jock and Jill, about the popularity of the bracelets. The timing coincides with the beginning of the Tour de France.

With this complex project behind the seemingly simplistic rubber bracelets, the motivations of those choosing to wear the Livestrong wristbands proves to be both diverse and interesting, but this also begs the question: How much people are interested in the cancer advocacy aspect of the foundation, and to what degree have the yellow wristbands become the ‘thing to wear’?

“I think the people you see looking for them by now would be hard pressed to tell you what the foundation represents. People have lost sight as to what they are for … and hold image higher than the foundation,” said Salerno.

Salerno also noted the fact that due to their popularity and how it is difficult now to find the wristbands in retail locations, people are now turning to the Internet and online auction websites like eBay, to get a piece of the wristband craze, where people “sell them for like $20 and people buy them.”

Ali Andrews, a Lakeside High School student, got her bracelet two weeks ago from a friend who had purchased a package deal over the Internet. When asked why she wanted a bracelet, she said, “because they’re cool and everyone has one. You can’t find it in stores.” Andrews admittedly does “not know very much” about the foundation, and went on to describe the bandwagon approach to the foundation as “justified because it is for a good cause.”

Advocacy, education, public health programs and research are the main focal points of the LAF, although the foundation delves into virtually every aspect of the illness and those battling the onslaught each day. According to the foundation’s Web site, its purpose is to, “provide the practical information and tools [cancer patients] need to live strong.”

Alex Eisner, a junior electrical engineering student at the UW, was particularly inspired by the foundation’s cause due to his great reverence for Armstrong.

“I first heard about it while watching the Tour [de France], and I knew it had to do with Lance and cancer support. I have a large admiration for Lance, using his cycling ability and fame for something that affects everyone.”

Eisner purchased 30 wristbands through the foundation’s online retail center for the sole purpose of donating them “to anyone who wants one. It makes me feel like I can actually do something and raise awareness.”

While Eisner does believe that wearing the yellow wristband has become a fad, and doesn’t think “that people really understand why they’re wearing it,” he brings to light the simple fact that “nonetheless, they are wearing it, and any support is support. You can’t expect everyone to know everything about your cause.”

Now that the Tour de France is months passed, it seems as though the number of people wearing wristbands is slowly decreasing. However, regarding Eisner’s plans to stop wearing the bracelet, he said that he had “been thinking about that and I [do not] see myself taking it off anytime soon.”

Salerno will take his off “whenever it breaks.”

For Hickey, the wristband is a small part of a much bigger endeavor. He sees the supposed fad as having only positive consequences.

He does not plan on taking it off any time in the near future.