Chris Brewer, a long-time contributor to the Livestrong and Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team Websites, is back again writing his "Fresh Brew" column for the Astana Cycling Team Website.

In one of his most recent articles, Chris talks about Mellow Johnny's, a bike commuter-oriented bike store in Downtown Austin, TX. Chris writes:

If I told you that 7-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong had opened a bike shop, I’ll bet you would imagine row up on row of high tech carbon bikes in a state of the art facility. And while there are certainly plenty of excellent historic and high-tech Trek rides at "Mellow Johny's" located in the heart of Austin, Texas, the 18,000 square foot brick beer-distributorship-turned-bike-shop is as good a place to get a tube or an inexpensive commuter bike as it is a rocket to win your next neighborhood world championship…

(Interestingly enough, Johan Bruyneel is doing a book signing there tonight, and flying from there up to West Chester, PA for tomorrow night's book signing previously discussed on Operation Gadget.)

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Kudos to the Lance Armstrong Foundation for creating a Spanish language version of livestrong.org. The Spanish language website, LivestrongEspanol.org, is not an exact duplicate of the English language website, but provides a lot of the basic Cancer care and survivorship information that the LAF provided in its early days.

In addition, the Spanish language version of the website provides access to Livestrong SurvivorCare in Spanish. I think survivor care programs like this are critical for people who have limited financial resources or knowledge of the health care community.

I think that American doctors and hospitals make major efforts to communicate when necessary in Spanish as well as other languages that are spoken by recent immigrants. However, there couldn't possibly be enough information available in Spanish about complex medical conditions like cancer.

Posted by Dave Aiello at 9:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Los Angeles Business reports that Oakley has donated $1 Million to the Lance Armstrong Foundation that was generated through sales of the Livestrong line of sports sunglasses. According to the article:

Oakley Livestrong Flak Jacket XLJ: A nice pair of
sunglasses for sports that supports a worthy cause.
[ Image: Oakley ]

The special-edition Livestrong line is based off of three of Oakley's most popular designs: the Radar, the Flak Jacket and the Straight Jacket. Out of each purchase, $20 goes to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

The program took only eight months to reach the $1 million mark.

That works out to 6,250 sets of sunglasses per month.

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Continuing our theme of honoring The Tour de Georgia pro cycling race that took place last week, our fourth free iPhone wallpaper is "Mavic Helmet":

I took this photo of a Mavic neutral support motorcyclists' helmet at the 2005 Tour de Georgia.

This image is part of the Operation Gadget iPhone Wallpapers Collection. I'm planning to release one iPhone wallpaper per week for a while during this Spring and Summer.

I've only ridden in one event where Mavic provided support. It was the 2004 Tour of Hope Fundraising Ride in Washington, DC. I needed support that day. I broke a pedal on my old Marin Bear Valley SE mountain bike, the only bike I owned at the time. The Mavic guys offered me a bike, but I didn't have real biking shoes at that point (to fit into clipless pedals), so I had to find someone to help me.

The incredible story of how I met Dr. Steven Sharpe at a rest area along the course, and how he took me to his home nearby and repaired my bike is one that you should read if you ever want to know what constitutes a Good Samaritan in this day and age. Dr. Sharpe and his friend Greg Millet turned an unlucky break into a miraculous finish to truly special event that did a lot of good for cancer research.

The entire story of my involvement in the 2004 Tour of Hope DC Fundraising Ride can be found at:

http://www.operationgadget.com/2004_tour_of_hope/

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The Associated Press is reporting that the Lance Armstrong Foundation will extend the LiveStrong brand to a for-profit fitness-related website. The website will be called LiveStrong.com. The press release announcing LiveStrong.com says that the site will be launched in conjunction with Demand Media, a company that runs vertical market social networking websites. Lance Armstrong and Capital Sports and Entertainment, the sports management and marketing firm partly owned by Lance Armstrong, will also play significant roles.

LiveStrong.com com is scheduled to launch in the second quarter of 2008.

According to the press release:

As a strategic advisor and ongoing content contributor, Lance will work exclusively with Demand Media to build and promote LIVESTRONG.com for the next four years. Demand Media will have an exclusive and perpetual license to the LiveStrong.com domain and work with the foundation to develop LIVESTRONG.com into the leading health, wellness, and fitness destination. Demand Media will provide a perpetual license of its proprietary social media tools to support the LAF army of volunteers on LIVESTRONG.org. Donors, supporters and survivors will be able to interact on the non-profit site via profiles, messaging, photos and blogs. Members of the LAF army will be invited to preview LIVESTRONG.com before its public launch in Q2.

It will be really interesting to see if LiveStrong.com can be launched as a fitness-oriented social networking site without confusing some members of the public about the main Lance Armstrong Foundation website at LiveStrong.org. I am a big supporter of the entire LiveStrong program, and I hope for the best.

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The Nike Amp+ Sport Remote Control has finally made it to the market, and iLounge has done a comprehensive review of it. Jeremy Horowitz writes:

It would be an understatement to call Nike’s Amp+ iPod nano Remote ($79) the coolest and most misunderstood iPod accessory introduced in the past year. The bracelet, which is sold in four colors—blue, green with orange, black with red, or black with graphite—is a watch, an iPod remote control, and a fashion statement. Give it a quick glance from a distance and you’d think it’s just an extra-wide Lance Armstrong LiveStrong wristband, but get up close and you begin to realize that Nike has crafted an understated and underpromoted work of design genius....

I think the Amp+ looks incredible. It's the kind of watch that I could see wearing once or twice a week, the same way I tend to wear my Polar S625x to work on days when I'm officiating hockey. I'd like to see the reaction from people in my office when they saw this watch on my wrist.

I wish that Apple and Nike would expand the availability of the Nike+ product stack to iPods other than the nano. How hard could it be to make that happen?

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I saw some ads for Dick's Sporting Goods that star Lance Armstrong on New Year's Day when I watched the NHL Winter Classic on NBC. The two 30-second ads both emphasized the fact that the Livestrong clothing collection is on sale at Dick's Sporting Goods.

I thought the ads had a hard edge to them that's uncharacteristic of how Lance has been portrayed in previous TV advertising. In spite of that I thought they were memorable.

When I visited Dick's Sporting Goods E-commerce Site, I expected to find the Livestrong clothing on sale there. I didn't see much at all, although the TV ads are available on that site.

I guess we are expected to visit a Dick's Sporting Goods store to buy these products, or buy them on-line at http://www.store-laf.org/.

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I just found out that Giro is planning to produce an authorized Livestrong Special Edition Atmos Cycling Helmet again for its 2007 model year. I love my Rudy Project Ayron Helmet, but the Livestrong Special Edition Atmos Helmet is one I'd wear in its place.

Giro will donate 5 percent of its proceeds from sale of these helmets to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

I already added this to my Wishlist at Amazon.com, so many people in my family will see it even if they don't buy it for me. The Giro ® Atmos Livestrong Edition Helmet is also available at the Discovery Channel Store and all sizes are in stock at this writing.

Technorati Tags: Livestrong, Giro Atmos, bike gear, Christmas gifts, Hanukkah gifts

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The LiveStrong Challenge Philadelphia took place on Sunday, September 10 without me. It sounds like it was a big success. The weather was nearly perfect that day, with rain coming in that night, well after all of the riders and runners crossed the finish line.

Many articles appeared in the media before the event. A good example is Birdsboro mother, stepson ride for a cure from the Pottstown Mercury:

Valerie Rowe and her stepson Steven will set out on a 40-mile bike ride to benefit cancer research Sunday as part of the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s Livestrong Challenge Philadelphia... The Penn State Berks professor she began cycling because he husband, Bob, is an avid rider... Her reason for accepting this particular challenge, she said, is because her sister and sister-in-law are both cancer survivors. "Plus, I have a lot of respect for Lance Armstrong," she said.

Here are a couple of the better articles that were published after the LiveStrong Challenge took place. Passion for cycling spurs cancer drive from the Morristown Daily Record:

Two years ago, Morristown resident Steve Jablon helped found a group of bicycling enthusiasts within his Bridgewater pharmaceutical company. Members of the PharmaFliers, as the group was dubbed by the employees of Sanofi-Aventis, found a kindred spirit in each other for the sport they love...

Earlier this year, the PharmaFliers discovered the... LiveStrong Challenge, a 100-mile charity bike ride through various cities across America. Sixteen members of the group who have been directly and indirectly affected by cancer began training for the Philadelphia Live Strong Challenge, which was held on Sept. 10...

Of the $2.6 million total raised for the Foundation in Philadelphia, the PharmaFliers contributed $19,400, nearly doubling its original goal, Jablon said.

LiveStrong Challenge Philly Report by Will Swetnam of The Paceline.com [ registration required to read ]:

Like many supporters of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, I was curious as to how the shift to the five city LIVESTRONG Challenge would play out. Having attended the last 6 Ride for the Roses events in Austin, I was curious how the "feel" would compare to this one. When making my choice, Austin would have been the easy one - just drive on down from where I live outside of Dallas - but I wanted to try one of the other rides. I've ridden in several of the LSC event cities, but never in Philadelphia, and so my decision was made for me...

{The early part of the course consisted of} rolling hills through neighborhoods, farm areas, past old buildings, and amazing houses. The course was well marked and I never once felt the need for a cue sheet. My riding partner for the day, Christine, who is training for a few centuries later in the year, and I had agreed to a steady pace to help build endurance, and so we were able to enjoy the scenery. We passed the first two rest stops, and stopped in at the third...

Continue reading "LiveStrong Challenge in Philadelphia Was a Success" »

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Wednesday, May 17 is LiveStrong Day. To show my support for Lance Armstrong and his efforts to lobby Congress for increased cancer research funding, I'll be wearing one of my yellow t-shirts while I mow the lawn.

I hope you will do your part as well by wearing something yellow or putting on another LiveStrong wristband.

For more information, visit the Lance Armstrong Foundation at http://www.livestrong.org/.

Technorati Tags: LiveStrong Day, Lance Armstrong.

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Congratulations to the folks at the Lance Armstrong Foundation for winning a high-profile domain squatting case involving the LiveStrong trademark. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) ruled that CSA Marketing of California had registered and used three LiveStrong-related domain names for the purpose of selling LiveStrong wristbands at a profit. Reuters reports that the arbitrators said:

There is nothing, in short, to persuade the panel that the registration and use of the domain names was anything other than opportunistic and abusive conduct...

Technorati Tags: Lance Armstrong, LiveStrong

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On Sunday, The Boston Globe reported that the Food and Drug Administration is holding two days of hearings beginning today on Direct-to-Consumer advertising. Among the issues expected to come up at these hearings are the roles of Lance Armstrong, Dorothy Hamill, and other celebrities who are featured in advertisements for prescription drugs or pharmaceutical manufacturers.

The Globe article points out that Bristol-Myers Squibb is very concerned that the role Lance Armstrong plays in its advertising be differentiated from the involvement of many other celebrities in pharmaceutical industry advertising. It says:

Bristol-Myers Squibb hopes the FDA distinguishes between questionable past practices and current advertisements that harness celebrity star power to raise awareness of health conditions affecting millions.

"Lance has been used in corporate advertising relative to the BMS brand, not in product advertising," said Tony Plohoros, a company spokesman. "We believe there is a significant difference in advertising that focuses on corporate brand building, or disease awareness, versus individual product advertising."

Participants in the Tour of Hope should pay close attention to these hearings. I think that sponsorship of disease awareness events like the Tour of Hope are the aspect of pharmaceutical company marketing that is least likely to be changed by the Food and Drug Administration, but we have to watch carefully and react quickly if the FDA acts too aggressively.

Technorati Tags: Tour of Hope, Lance Armstrong

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On Thursday, Julie Howson (my sister) pointed out an article in The New York Times that discusses the growing tendency of non-athletes to participate in endurance sporting events while raising money for charity. Julie wrote:

{Here's an} interesting article that cites the "Lance effect" as one of the motivating factors behind doing this.

The article suggests that the success of the LiveStrong Yellow Wristband Program has caused a lot of people to consider making a larger commitment to a charity to which they feel personally connected. These endurance training programs certainly are popular channels for people to demonstrate that commitment. The article goes on to make a number of statistical and philosophical points that I hadn't seen elsewhere:

• "...not everyone thinks charity endurance events are the best way for out-of-shape do-gooders to give back..." {i.e., some people may develop chronic injuries by doing the minimum recommended training in a few of these programs}
• Team in Training, a program of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society "raised $85 million last year, or 32 percent of revenue for the society, which supports blood cancer research, education and patient services. The figure was up from $3.7 million raised a decade earlier."
• Charities require fundraisers to raise as much as $4,000 each to participate in events with the charity's endorsement, and many of the events that the fundraisers participate in are neither financed nor organized by the charities themselves.

A couple of the things that I particularly like about the Bristol-Myers Squibb Tour of Hope Washington DC Fundraising Ride that I participated in last year were that the minimum amount raised by each participant was only $500 and that the Lance Armstrong Foundation had a significant role in organizing it. If what this article says is true, participation in the DC Fundraising Ride is a lot less onerous on the participants than many other fundraising programs.

Technorati Tags: Tour of Hope, Lance Armstrong

Posted by Dave Aiello at 10:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Josh Hallett of hyku.com asked:

Did you notice that {Al Trautwig} had a LiveSTRONG laptop on the desk during the OLN pre-show?

I missed that the first time I watched the Pre-race Show, but I was able to go back and look carefully at the lid of Trautwig's laptop, at the extreme left of camera shots of him. That definitely is an H-P Special Edition LiveStrong Notebook PC he's using.

I'm glad to see they thought enough of the AMD-HP effort to support the LiveStrong initiative to put one of these laptops on the set. What surprised me about seeing the notebook on the screen is how small the words "LiveStrong" appeared on screen if the camera wasn't focused on them. Although the letters are yellow on a black background, I didn't see them unless I looked very carefully.

If I were AMD, I'd have a special notebook made for OLN's on-air use that had larger, bolder letters on the lid. This way it would be clear to even a casual viewer that the notebook said "LiveStrong" on it.

Technorati Tags: Tour de France, LiveStrong

Posted by Dave Aiello at 7:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My friend Bruce from AMDprocycling.com pointed out that the LiveStrong Special Edition Notebook PC is now available from authorized e-commerce resellers and will be available shortly at electronics retailers across the country. The e-commerce reseller that we recommend most at this time is Amazon.com because they've offered the original version of the LiveStrong Notebook PC as well as this upgraded version:

• Order the LiveStrong Special Edition Notebook PC from Amazon.com

Hewlett-Packard and AMD are making a $50 donation to the Lance Armstrong Foundation for each LiveStrong Special Edition Notebook PCs sold. AMD expects its contribution to this initiative to be $4 million over the next two years, so you can imagine how many of these they expect to sell. As I said at the announcement of the LiveStrong Special Edition Notebook PC about a month ago, this is a great way for a LiveStrong supporter to show his or her commitment to the cause.

More information about the LiveStrong Special Edition Notebook PC is available at AMDlivestrong.com.

Technorati Tags: Lance Armstrong

Posted by Dave Aiello at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My wife Kathleen was laughing at me this morning when I told her that I was about to finish the new book Lance Armstrong's War by Daniel Coyle, a contributing editor for Outside Magazine.

Kathleen said, "Wow, you finished a long book! This is going to open new horizons for you," as if I'd never read a book that didn't come out of the junior reader section of the public library before. Since she reads as regularly as I eat, she has earned a certain right to chide me.

Lance Armstrong's War provides a lot of details about the successful attempt to win the 2004 Tour de France that even the most interested outsider couldn't have known. If you watched The Lance Chronicles on the Outdoor Life Network last year, you probably came away from that show with a few unanswered questions-- I know I did. This book fills in a lot of those details.

It also tells some of the inside story of the 2004 Tour de France, including the public relations threat posed by the book L.A. Confidentiel: Les Secrets de Lance Armstrong and the death threat against Armstrong that was made before the Alpe d'Huez Time Trial. I agreed with Lance's comments after that time trial that the time trial to Alpe d'Huez was too dangerous, but he didn't say and we didn't know that a threat had been made against his life at the time.

The book also discusses the degree to which Dr. Michele Ferrari was involved in Lance's 2004 Tour preparation. This will probably be a revelation for many American fans who have been given the impression that Ferrari played a small role relative to that of Chris Carmichael. Coyle explained that Ferrari was present for some of key parts of Lance's training in Europe and in other parts of the world last year. There's no doubt that both Carmichael and Ferrari played important roles in Lance's training.

There are a ton of small insights in this book that I haven't seen in any other place. For instance, many of the leading riders in the pro peleton were advised in the 2004 season by either Dr. Ferrari or Luigi Cecchini. It seems that riders align themselves with these advisors based partly on their abilities to help them reach training goals and partly because of their relationship or lack of relationship with a teammate or rival.

I also had not realized the degree to which Watts per kilogram of body weight was considered a benchmark of success in professional cycling. We often read about the statistics VO2max and lactate threshold as being important indicators of fitness and they certainly are, but they are apparently not the supreme indicators of pro cycling race potential.

Operation Gadget has talked about fitness gadgets like Polar Heart Rate Monitors and the Lactate Pro electronic lactate threshold meter, but we haven't discussed devices like the CycleOps PowerTap power meter as much. I saw Floyd Landis using a PowerTap at the Dodge Tour de Georgia, but many fewer riders use tools like PowerTaps due to the expense associated: $1,200 to 1,300 for the electronics alone.

Lance Armstrong's War provides more insight into how Armstrong thinks about threats to his goals and weapons in his arsenal. The attitude that he has developed over the years pervades his relationships and defines the organizations that he has put together. There are reasons that everyone in Armstrong's inner circle uses a Blackberry, and you'll learn some of them by reading this book. One of the key insights into how the team motivates itself is that Armstrong's perception of the advantage gained by his use of technology is more important than the actual advantage. This helps explain some of the enthusiasm that the Discovery Channel team had for their AMD-powered personal media players which were demonstrated to me at the Tour de Georgia.

There's also more focus on Lance Armstrong's Tour de France rivals than I would have expected from reading about this book. It's primarily about Lance Armstrong, his advisors, and his teammates, but there are very detailed discussions of Tyler Hamilton's 2004 season and his perceptions of what took place, as well as Iban Mayo's many problems during the race and Floyd Landis' decision to leave the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team after the 2004 Tour.

I think I could go on about Lance Armstrong's War and reveal all of the interesting information that it contains. Instead I'll say that I thoroughly enjoyed and wholeheartedly recommend the book. I think it's very balanced and doesn't shy away from discussing issues that are of continuing concern within Lance's inner circle.

Whether you are a big fan of Armstrong or not, you will find information in the book that you will appreciate. It's written in a style that makes it a brisk read. Everytime I picked it up, I read at least one chapter. I've been recommending it to friends who follow cycling before I even started reading it, and my recommendation is even stronger now that I've finished it.

Technorati Tags: Tour de France, Lance Armstrong

Posted by Dave Aiello at 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Sammarye Lewis published a great article on Velogal's Race Blog today about the fifth anniversary of Cameron Stewart's remission from ALL leukemia. Cam is eight years old now. Here's a part of the story:

Today's blog is gonna be all about a different cycling champion - he's now putting in his miles on the road on his Dad's old Trek. His determination, perseverance and courage are just like Lance's. And yesterday, he celebrated his "Birthday" (just like Lance does) for his Five Years in Remission. This little guy is eight years old and his name is Cameron Stewart....

Over the years, Paul {Cam's father} has sent me photo updates on Cam's progress, and I got invited to Cam's birthday party a couple of years ago. I drove up to the hills outside of Sacramento and met the nicest group of people you'd ever want to meet. All great folks and supporters of Cam. I've seen the Stewarts at the Ride for the Roses, and Paul has just become a Regional Mentor for the LAF.

So when the Discovery Channel folks contacted me, wanting to know if I knew anyone who had been inspired by Lance, it took me all of two seconds to recommend Cameron. Now Cam is being followed around and videotaped by the DC camera crew, and may end up going to the Tour, courtesy of Discovery Channel. Cam was filmed during his visit to Capitol Hill for Live Strong Day, and with his sign, "I am a Survivor" at the Today Show in NYC.

Cam and his father, Paul, are great spokespersons for cancer research and funding. Cam is growing strong and healthy, and he is determined to ride all the steepest hills, just like his hero, Lance Armstrong....

If any of you ever wonder why we're wearing LiveStrong yellow wristbands, it's not just for the people we know personally who have cancer or who have died of it. It's for kids like Cam Stewart. Thanks, Sammarye, for a great story.

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H-P L2000 Special Edition Notebook PC
will let PC users LiveStrong. See the
high-resolution image for a better
idea of what the notebook will
look like. [ Photo: Business Wire ].

Advanced Micro Devices and Hewlett-Packard today announced a joint initiative to support the Lance Amrstrong Foundation through a series of special LiveStrong Notebook PCs.

The H-P Special Edition L2000 Notebook PC will include the LiveStrong message and a reproduction of Lance Armstrong's autograph. They will be powered by an AMD Turion 64 mobile processor. A $50 donation to the LAF will be made for each one of these notebook PCs sold. Sales are expected to begin on-line in June, with in-store sales beginning in July. Each notebook purchaser will receive a LiveStrong Yellow Wristband and yellow stereo earbuds. Sources within AMD say that the notebooks are expected to be priced between $999 and $1,399, depending on configuration.

AMD is backing this effort by making a two-year commitment to help generate a minimum of $4 million for the LAF from this initiative.

"In my battle with cancer, I learned that knowledge is power and attitude is everything," said Lance Armstrong, cancer survivor, champion cyclist and founder of the LAF. "Empowerment plays an important role in dealing with a cancer diagnosis, and technology provides a way for patients and their loved ones to take control by arming themselves with information."

I've seen a couple of articles about this announcement already suggesting that this is some sort of Lance Armstrong brand extension. I don't think so. This is really about AMD and H-P supporting the LiveStrong program in a major way. These notebooks are hitting the stores in time for the Tour de France, and I can't think of a better way for a LiveStrong supporter to demonstrate his or her commitment than to use one. This would mean more than putting a "Join Lance!" sticker from the Lance Armstrong Foundation on the notebook case, as I've done in the past.

Posted by Dave Aiello at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Congratulations to the Lance Armstrong Foundation on the first anniversary of the LiveStrong Yellow Wristband cancer awareness program. In an article that appeared last week in USA Today, Nike executives estimated that 50 million wristbands have been sold. The original estimate of the number of wristbands that would be sold was only five million. I bet that seemed like a lot to the people who sat around the table when they first came up with the campaign.

Operation Gadget owes much of its success to the LiveStrong Program, the Bristol-Myers Squibb Tour of Hope, and the Target Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Wristband Campaign. I began talking about these programs because I thought they were unique and had a chance to make a difference in many people's lives. The programs have done that, but they've also made a difference in my life and that of my family. We've made many friends through our support of these programs and done some good for people who needed help. Many of Operation Gadget's regular readers found the site through our coverage of one of these programs, and stayed because they like the other content they found here.

The LiveStrong Program is about helping the survivors of cancer to improve their lives. When you wear a yellow wristband you are saying I'm willing to help cancer survivors to live a better life. If you know a cancer survivor, today would be a great day to get in touch with them and see how they are doing.

Update: I forgot to point out Josh Hallett's excellent LiveStrong Band Sales Timeline. The article illustrates that Josh has been on the LiveStrong bandwagon since May 6, 2004. That's the earliest I've seen that any blogger picked up on the LiveStrong program.

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I was contacted today by a representative of a law enforcement agency regarding the complaint I made in November 2004 about counterfeit LiveStrong wristbands that were on sale in Central New Jersey. He told me that he is investigating the complaints that the State of New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs received in the past four months of counterfeit wristbands in his jurisdiction. I provided additional information to aid in the identification of counterfeits that may still be on sale.

I don't feel that I can be more specific about who and what is happening, because the investigation is still active. I wanted to publish this much information because I think Operation Gadget readers will appreciate the fact that complaints about these abuses in New Jersey are being investigated.

In addition, I'm happy to report that New York State has aggressively pursued counterfeit wristband sellers, resulting in payments of restitution to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

All of this activity clearly demonstrates that the selling of counterfeit LiveStrong wristbands doesn't pay. If you see counterfeit LiveStrong wristbands on sale, report it to your local authorities so the circumstances can be investigated.

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Oprah got her fans to buy 1.2 million
LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands
last Friday and Saturday. Order yours now
from the Discovery Channel On-Line Store.

On February 11, Oprah Winfrey interviewed Lance Armstrong, touted the LiveStrong Program, and urged her viewers to buy a LiveStrong wristband. She openly stated that her goal was to break the one-day record for wristband sales.

The numbers are in and Oprah succeeded. Her viewers purchased 900,000 wristbands on Friday, and an additional 300,000 on Saturday. The sales on Friday broke the daily sales record by well over 200 percent.

My calculations indicate that Oprah was responsible for selling 3.75 percent of all LiveStrong wristbands sold to date. That's incredible. [ via TDFblog.com ]

Posted by Dave Aiello at 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

LiveStrong Yellow Wristband orders are
being shipped by the Discovery Channel
On-Line Store in as little as six days.
Place your LiveStrong Wristband order
now.

I have good news to report on the availability of LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands from the Discovery Channel On-Line Store. I ordered two 10-packs of LiveStrong Wristbands from them on January 27, 2005. I received the order on February 2 via UPS Ground which is their standard shipping option. That means I received my LiveStrong Wristband order in six days!

The Discovery Channel On-Line Store ships to the USA, Canada, and the United Kingdom. I would strongly recommend that people in those countries who are placing orders for LiveStrong Wristbands today use the Discovery Channel On-Line Store. They run a first rate e-commerce system and order status communication is excellent.

I think Discovery is positioning itself to provide some relief to the Lance Armstrong Foundation staff by offering LiveStrong Wristbands through its on-line store. The LAF has done an incredible job in the face of an avalanche of orders that hasn't let up for 7 months.

Posted by Dave Aiello at 9:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A source at Discovery Communications told us that Lance Armstrong and Sheryl Crow will appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show on Friday, February 11, 2005. This show was taped some time ago, since a brief article on LanceArmstrong.com indicates that Oprah spoke in detail about the LiveStrong program.

Check your local listings for time and channel for Friday's Oprah Winfrey show, or check the Where and When is Oprah On page on Oprah.com.

Posted by Dave Aiello at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

LiveStrong wristbands orders to the UK
from the Lance Armstrong Foundation
On-line Store are arriving eight weeks
from the time the order is placed.

Last night I received the following email from Michael Rhodes:

Im new to your site but i have noticed that alot of people seem to have questions about delays in their orders for LiveStrong bands. I appreciate the fact that you must find these constant emails very tedious. I thought it might be of some help to you to say that i ordered some of the bands from www.laf.org and had them shipped to me here in the UK, it took 8 weeks for them to arrive. 3-4 weeks until they despatched and a further 4 weeks shipping and clearing through customs. Alot of people over look the fact that international shipping may take longer than it does to the US. I hope this can help you answer some of those emails from those ordering internationally who are getting very impatient.

Its a great site, hope i helped in some way. [ Emphasis added. ]

I responded to Michael personally, but I want to take this opportunity to thank him for providing this valuable information. There's clearly tremendous demand for LiveStrong yellow wristbands in the United Kingdom and little information about how quickly the Lance Armstrong Foundation is fulfilling orders. Hopefully this information will help readers from the UK who are looking for the best way to order LiveStrong wristbands for themselves and their families.

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Lance Armstrong Wins SantaCross:
Nice photos at CyclingNews.com.
Good article at VeloNews.com.
[ Photo: Dorothy Wong,
CyclingNews.com ]

VeloNews.com covered the reports that Lance Armstrong won the "A" Mens Race at the SantaCross cyclocross event over the weekend in Woodland Hills, California. CyclingNews.com has an excellent photo spread with plenty of shots of Lance, Tony Cruz, and fellow riders in seasonal costumes.

For some reason, CyclingNews.com mixed the name of this race up with Scary Fast 'Cross a cyclocross event that was organized by the same people and took place a few weeks earlier. Why would an event named "Scary Fast 'Cross" take place at the beginning of December? It's OK-- their photos are good.

It looks like they had great weather for this event. I bet the riders in Santa suits had hydration problems that day. According to the VeloNews report:

With the bell lap Armstrong had a 30 second lead on the now furious Santa #1 who had trained all summer with several T-Mobile riders in South Africa for this event. Lance rolled in for the win to a thunderous crowd. As Santa #1 crossed the line for 2nd he shook his fist at the crowd threatening to put them on the Naughty List too for not cheering louder for him.

Note the LiveStrong cycling jersey worn by Armstrong in this race. Has anyone seen a jersey like this available for sale? How much money would we have to raise for the LiveStrong program to receive one?

Posted by Dave Aiello at 1:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

LiveStrong Packaging (Front): Here is
a photo comparing the appearance of
the front of point-of-sale packaging for a
counterfeit (fake) LiveStrong Wristband with
the packaging for a genuine LiveStrong
Wristband. Click on the photo for a
much larger image. [ Photo: Dave Aiello ]

About a month ago, I pointed out the report that WCBS-TV in New York broadcast on the increasing availability of counterfeit LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands at convenience stores, dollar stores, and kiosks at shopping malls in the New York Metropolitan Area. At the time, I received a number of requests for photos illustrating the difference between the packaging used on counterfeit and legitimate LiveStrong wristbands. I'm happy to report that I finally have those photos.

In the photos shown at the right, a fake and real LiveStrong wristband are shown side-by-side. Clicking on either of the photos will display a much larger image. The larger photos will be a great deal more helpful for identification purposes.

• The price tag. I purchased this Fake LiveStrong Wristband for $3.00 in order to show you what a counterfeit product looked like. Retailers who are authorized to sell LiveStrong wristbands will only sell genuine wristbands and will not charge more than $1.00 in the United States.
• The slogan "COURAGE, STRENGTH, VICTORY" on the Fake wristband package. This slogan has never been used by the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
• The term "LIVESTRONG" does not have the trademark symbol next to it. The trademark symbol is the letters "TM" next to the "G" on the front of the Real package.
• The Nike logo is not present on the Fake package, but it is on some of the Real packages. Some genuine LiveStrong packaging shipped by the LAF does not have the Nike logo on it, but has other unique ways that it be identified.

LiveStrong Packaging (Back): Here is
a photo comparing the appearance of
the back of point-of-sale packaging for a
counterfeit (fake) LiveStrong Wristband and
the packaging for a genuine LiveStrong
Wristband. Click on the photo for a
much larger image. [ Photo: Dave Aiello ]

Moving on to the back of the packages, there are a number of obvious differences here that can be used to identify genuine LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands:

• Description of the LiveStrong Program on the Real wristband package. The description reads:

  The Lance Armstrong Foundation provides information and support to young cancer survivors and their families. Join Lance by wearing a "LIVE STRONG" yellow wristband. All proceeds benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation. www.laf.org

• $1 price on the Real wristband package. The $1 price is printed on the package at the factory.
• The UPC Code on some Real wristband packages. The Nike branded version of the LiveStrong wristband package has a UPC code that's scannable by a cash register. Some genuine LiveStrong wristband packages shipped by the LAF did not have the Nike logo and also did not have the UPC code or the reference to www.wearYELLOW.com shown here.
• The Lance Armstrong Foundation Logo on some Real wristband packages. Some genuine LiveStrong wristband packages have the Lance Armstrong Foundation logo printed on the back. The packages I've seen that have the LAF logo on the back do not have the Nike logo on the front or the www.wearYELLOW.com URL on the back.

I hope these photos help you pick out the counterfeit LiveStrong wristbands that are out there, so you can avoid buying them. If anyone has any photos of LiveStrong Wristband packaging that differs from these photos and you know are legitimate, send them to us at tips [at] operationgadget.com.

Posted by Dave Aiello at 1:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I answer about 100 questions a week from Operation Gadget readers about the LiveStrong Program of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. I don't normally post the questions and my answers because of the huge amount of text they would add to the bottom of the articles where readers leave their comments. However, I feel like it would help to publish a few of the exchanges periodically, so here is the first of what may become a series:

Wayne writes:

Hey u all,
Please tell me where i can get it in MUMBAI,INDIA. I love LANCE and wanna support this charity so much.

Please let me know.... thanks a million....'

Wayne

Dave Aiello's answer:

Wayne:
The best bet for you and most other people living outside the United States is to order a 10-pack of LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands from the Lance Armstrong Foundation On-Line Store at http://www.laf-store.org/.

Many people are looking for authentic LiveStrong wristbands at local shops overseas, but no one has reported that they are consistantly available in recent months. Quite a few people gripe about the shipping charges, the length of time it takes for the wristbands to arrive, and the fact that you have to take at least 10.

My response is that this is the most reliable way to get what you are looking for, and remember that the purpose of the LiveStrong Wristband is to promote awareness of the difficulties that cancer survivors face in their daily lives. With that in mind, buying 10 and giving eight or nine away to friends and family is exactly the kind of thing that supporters of the cause should be doing.

Continue reading "Answers to Common Questions about LiveStrong Yellow Wristband Orders and Shipments" »

Posted by Dave Aiello at 1:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last week I reported that the Lance Armstrong Foundation contacted me to say that shipment of a 10-pack of LiveStrong yellow wristbands I ordered on October 1 would be slightly delayed. I received the shipment this morning.

The total time from order to delivery was just about five weeks, about a week more than the original 3 to 4 week delivery estimate, and quite acceptable considering the fact that I was notified that this particular shipment would be delayed. The Lance Armstrong Foundation continues to deliver on its promises.

Posted by Dave Aiello at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last night, Arnold Diaz presented a Shame on You report on WCBS, Channel 2 in New York, exposing distributors and retailers selling counterfeit LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands. Diaz reported that these wristbands are becoming widely available in the New York City metropolitan area.

He and a segment producer visited a Dollar Plus Store that he said was in Metuchen, NJ (apparently Dollar Plus on Amboy Avenue in Edison), a kiosk at the Staten Island Mall, and a wholesale importer at Broadway and 29th Street in Manhattan where they were able to purchase counterfeit LiveStrong wristbands. They captured the transactions each time with a hidden camera. They came back later with a regular TV camera and a large microphone, interviewed the people who sold the counterfeit wristbands, and challenged the wristbands' authenticity.

The Shame on You segment was on CBS 2 News at 6:00 and 11:00pm. I set my TiVo to record it. Subsequently, WCBS made the video available on their website [ Windows Media Player required ].

While I was out last evening, I went into a Krauszer's Convenience Store on Georges Road in North Brunswick to buy a Diet Coke. I unexpectedly found and purchased a counterfeit LiveStrong wristband for $3.00. It looks exactly like the counterfeit depicted in the Shame on You report. When I get a chance, I will post a photo of the counterfeit next to a real LiveStrong wristband, so Operation Gadget readers can see the difference.

WCBS deserves praise for an extremely informative report. I think they collected enough evidence to warrant some sort of investigation by the Attorneys General of New Jersey and New York. Since I bought a counterfeit wristband in a convenience store last night, I am going to call the New Jersey Attorney General's Office to ask how I can file a complaint.

Update: I filed a complaint with the Division of Consumer Affairs, alleging misconduct related to a legitimate charity.

Continue reading "LiveStrong Counterfeiters Exposed on CBS' Local News in New York City" »

Posted by Dave Aiello at 8:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I'm waiting for a shipment of one 10-pack of LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands from the Lance Armstrong Foundation On-Line Store that I ordered on October 1. Late this morning, I received the following email:

Hello David,

Thank you for supporting the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF). We wanted to provide you with a quick update on your recent order with the LAF Store.

At the time of your order we had indicated that it would ship from our warehouse within 3-4 weeks. Unfortunately, due to unplanned delays in our supply chain, your order will ship a few days past that 3-4 week time frame. As a result, we wanted to apologize and let you know that your order should arrive very soon. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and we thank you for your continued support and patience.

Thanks again for supporting the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Sincerely,

The LAF Store

This doesn't bother me, but some Operation Gadget readers have fretted about the whereabouts of orders that were placed three or four weeks ago. Don't panic. We're all getting our LiveStrong wristbands. It's just going to take a little longer.

Posted by Dave Aiello at 4:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

Cyclingnews published an excellent interview with Lance Armstrong that took place on October 26 in Austin. Among other things discussed are the Bristol-Myers Squibb Tour of Hope, the eight anniversary of the day he was declared cancer free, the LiveStrong program recent major races that he didn't participate in, Tyler Hamilton's situation, and the on-going judicial investigation in Italy.

The interview covers a lot of ground. I think they spent about the right amount of time on each issue, considering that some cycling fans weren't as exposed to the Tour of Hope as regular readers of Operation Gadget were.

The most surprising part of the interview for me is when Lance puts the legal and political situation in Italy as it relates to pro cycling into context by casting doubt about his participation in the Giro d'Italia. When you think about it, doesn't it seem unlikely that Lance will participate in the Giro as long as magistrates keep pursuing investigations tangential to the Dr. Michele Ferrari case?

Posted by Dave Aiello at 9:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Julie Howson pointed out that The Washington Post published an excellent article called Wrist and Recuperation [ registration required ] that summarizes the LiveStrong program for people who are wondering what it's all about. There is also some good information in the article for people who are actively supporting the cause, including:

• 20 million wristbands sold since May 17,
• $6 million initial fund-raising goal was meant to correspond with Lance's then-anticipated sixth Tour de France victory, and
• 20 or more couples purchased wristbands in bulk to give away as favors for guests at their weddings.

Many readers know that my wife, Kathleen, is a third year pediatric resident at Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ. She works in the pediatric hem-onc (hematology-oncology) unit periodically. Parents and grandparents of patients in this unit are major purchasers of LiveStrong wristbands as well.

The Washington Post says that the wristbands "show support for those battling cancer, and create an instant bond among the wearers." I've given them to survivors and members of their families, the families of victims, and people who donated to support me in the Tour of Hope DC Fund-raising Ride. Those are exactly the reasons why I've been sending giving away the wristbands.

Posted by Dave Aiello at 5:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

LiveStrong wristbands are now available
at Discovery Channel Stores (on-line
and off-line) and www.laf-store.org.

Several Operation Gadget readers have reported that Discovery Channel Stores are now selling LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands. The stores are going out of there way to minimize hoarding by limiting purchases to 20 wristbands per person.

You can use the Discovery Channel Store Locator to find the nearest store to you. It appears that stores are located in 38 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

In addition, the Discovery Channel On-Line Store has made LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands available. The unique twist on their site is that orders can be placed for youth or adult wristbands in quantities as small as one. There is still a limit of 20 wristbands per customer, but their order policy is a great deal more flexible than that of the Lance Armstrong Foundation On-Line Store at the moment.

I have been meaning to report on the limited availability of LiveStrong wristbands at Discovery Channel Stores since I heard the news at the Tour of Hope Finale. However, I've been so busy since we got back from Washington, DC that I haven't had time to do it.

Posted by Dave Aiello at 10:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Kevin Garnett has been wearing
rubber wristbands in NBA games since
1998. [ photo by Tom Lynn,
Millwaukee Journal-Sentinel ]

ESPN published a terrific summary of the success of that the LiveStrong campaign has experienced this summer. In this article, you'll learn that:

• Lance Armstrong initially thought they'd sell 500,000 LiveStrong yellow wristbands, "at best",
• wristband sales steadily increased during the Tour de France, but exploded during the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, and
• the Lance Armstrong Foundation sold 410,000 wristbands on August 24 and 25 alone.

Other organizations have noticed the success of the LiveStrong program and are looking to emulate it, at least on a small scale. Examples include:

• Keep Pounding: a cancer fundraising effort sponsored by the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League in honor of Mark Fields, a player who is a Hodgkin's Disease survivor. [ Grey and blue wristbands ]
• Team United: an effort by the Virginia Tech varsity football team to support the United Way. [ Orange wristbands ]
• Recording artist Lil' Flip apparently wears a wristband similar to a LiveStrong yellow wristband in his U Gotta Feel Me music video.

The article also says that the connection of LiveStrong-like wristbands to sports can be traced all the way back to Kevin Garnett of the NBA in 1998. Garnett began wearing rubber bands with printed sayings on them on his wrist when he was in high school.

Posted by Dave Aiello at 1:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Get your LiveStrong wristbands now
at www.laf-store.org.

On August 26, I performed an experiment by ordering a 10-pack of LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands directly from the Lance Armstrong Foundation On-Line Store. I received the LiveStrong wristbands today, four weeks and one day after I placed the order. This confirms the shipping estimate that the LAF has been providing to its customers.

I'm sending these wristbands to people who are supporting my participation in the 2004 Tour of Hope Fund-raising Ride in Washington, DC to thank them for their support. If you want to join me in raising a few dollars for cancer research, please visit http://www.operationgadget.com/hope.

Buying 10-packs of LiveStrong wristbands from the Lance Armstrong Foundation On-Line Store is still the recommended method for obtaining them.

Posted by Dave Aiello at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Nike CEO Philip Knight spoke to shareholders yesterday at his company's annual meeting in Oregon. BikeBiz a UK-based publication covering the retail bike industry, said that Knight was listing the achievements of Nike-sponsored athletes, but then interrupted himself and said:

Whoa, whoa, whoa...you guys are doing a great job, but occasionally you need some coaching. You missed the story of the year. The story of the year without a doubt was...Lance Armstrong.

At that point, Lance Armstrong appeared on the stage to huge cheers from audience.

The article goes on to point out that Nike has distributed a large percentage of the 12 to 13 million LiveStrong yellow wristbands sold worldwide. They also played key roles in the WearYellow website and the sale of LiveStrong wristbands to spectators at the Tour de France.

BikeBiz also points out, "Nike made no money from sales of the bands but they generated 'a buzz'...." People who came into Nike dealers looking for LiveStrong wristbands probably left with several other purchases as well. Who says that a company can't do well for itself while it's doing some good?

By the way, you may be interested to know that Nike donated $1 million itself to the LiveStrong campaign.

Posted by Dave Aiello at 4:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Get your LiveStrong wristbands now
at www.laf-store.org.

Maria Norton pointed out that the Lance Armstrong Foundation On-Line Store is back on-line at a new URL: http://www.laf-store.org/. She placed an order for several 10-packs of LiveStrong yellow wristbands, and so did I.

Orders placed through the LAF On-Line Store are expected to ship in 3 to 4 weeks.

Buying 10-packs of LiveStrong wristbands from the Lance Armstrong Foundation On-Line Store is still the recommended method for obtaining them. [ Thanks for the tip, Maria. ]

Posted by Dave Aiello at 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (17) | TrackBacks (0)

For the past few weeks, I've recommended that people interested in getting new LiveStrong yellow wristbands purchase a 10-pack directly from the Lance Armstrong Foundation On-Line Store, rather than resort to baying an unconscionable premium for one wristband on Ebay.

Over the weekend, I wanted to order 20 or 30 wristbands to send one to each donor to the Tour of Hope that supports me in the Washington DC fund-raising ride on October 9. When I went to the LAF On-Line Store, I received a message that said, "We are temporarily closed for site updates and maintenance." I have been going back to the store periodically during the day to see if it has opened up again.

Several readers have pointed out the updated FAQ on the LAF On-Line Store, which says the following:

{September 14} - We are in the process of upgrading our on-line store servers to better serve you. Until then we are temporarily closed for site updates and maintenance. We anticipate being back on-line by the end of the week if not sooner - thank you for your support!

I will continue to check the site each morning, and report here on Operation Gadget when the store is accepting orders again.

Posted by Dave Aiello at 2:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

On October 9, I'm going to join the Bristol-Myers Squibb Tour of Hope by participating in the Washington DC fundraising bike ride and I would appreciate your support. One hundred percent of the funds raised during the Tour of Hope ride will benefit cancer research through the Lance Armstrong Foundation. To learn more, visit www.tourofhope.org.

Riding in Memory of Peter Frank

Peter Frank, Dave Aiello, and Dieter Frank in May 2003.

I'm participating in the Tour of Hope this year to remember one of my closest friends, Peter Andreas Frank. Peter died of brain cancer in August 2003 after a 10-year struggle with a series of brain tumors. He and his family fought this illness in a courageous and amazing manner, and I've been looking for a way to pay tribute to all of them on the first anniversary of Peter's death.

Peter participated in a clinical trial of the drug Gleevec, a drug that is normally prescribed for gastrointestinal tumors and leukemia, under the care of Dr. Roger Stupp of the University Hospital Multidisciplinary Oncology Center in Lausanne, Switzerland. He did this to prolong his life, improve his quality of life, and to help future brain cancer patients.

The Tour of Hope raises money for cancer clinical trials. So, I'm sure that Peter would support this program wholeheartedly.

Each rider must commit to raising a minimum of $500 for cancer research in order to participate in the Tour of Hope Washington, DC ride. I can't give that much myself this year. If you'd like to help me support cancer research, please click on the Help Dave ride the Tour of Hope button to make a tax deductible contribution with your credit card. The pledge you make is a fixed amount, and isn't based on how far I ride.

If you need instructions on how to donate by check or you need an address for Peter Frank's family so that a memorial card can be sent to them, please email me at daiello@operationgadget.com.

Thanks for your help. I plan to talk about the Tour of Hope Washington, DC fund-raising ride here on Operation Gadget. So, I hope you'll come back and check out our progress.

Posted by Dave Aiello at 2:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Yesterday's Boston Globe had an article called You Survived Cancer. Now What? that focused on the difficulties that Shari Dicker and other survivors of adult-onset cancer face as a result of having the good fortune of being a long term cancer survivor. The article talks about the Lance Armstrong Foundation Adult Survivorship Clinic that was announced on August 30 at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. The Lance Armstrong Foundation gave a $1 million dollar grant to Dana-Farber to make this new clinic a reality.

The Boston Globe article says:

Armstrong, a survivor of testicular cancer, recently jump-started something of a minor social movement around the issue, drawing attention to the problems of survivors, in addition to providing direct funding. His foundation's "LiveStrong" yellow wristbands have become the fashion statement of the moment -- worn by dozens of Olympic athletes, among others -- and are helping to raise money for survivorship research and care.

This is one of the best articles I've read so far, in terms of explaining exactly how LiveStrong campaign money is being used.

Posted by Dave Aiello at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Recently, two Operation Gadget readers commented that they have received LiveStrong yellow wristbands directly from the Lance Armstrong Foundation by placing an order for 10 wristbands and waiting for delivery. I will repeat their comments here so that more readers can see them:

Just because the bands are backordered doesn't mean you can't place an order. My friend ordered a 10 pack at the end of July and it came in 2-3 weeks. Not sure why someone would want to pay $10 for one band, just to get it sooner. Also, the LAF sends them to countries all over the world, not just the USA.

For those of you who "only want one", don't be cheap. Buy a 10-pack and give them to your friends and family, for crying out loud.

--jvickers in response to Where to Buy a LiveStrong Yellow Wristband

I'm from the Philippines and we did your 3rd suggestion. {"Organize a small group of friends and purchase a 10-pack directly from the Lance Armstrong Foundation."} The package just arrived last friday. I'm proud to say that I'm now wearing the band. :)

--Charo in response to Suggestions for Finding a LiveStrong Yellow Wristband Outside the United States

If their experience is an indication of how the Lance Armstrong Foundation is handling back orders, then I think ordering a 10-pack of LiveStrong yellow wristbands directly from the LAF is the most efficient way to get them at this time. I ordered a 10-pack directly from the LAF this morning. I was charged $13.06 for a 10-pack, including shipping.

When I receive the 10-pack that I ordered, I'll let you know here on Operation Gadget.

Posted by Dave Aiello at 7:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (61) | TrackBacks (0)

Earlier today The Wall Street Journal reported that eBay is hosting the auction of hundreds of individual LiveStrong yellow wristbands because they do not have a rule against profiting on the resale of them. [ Paid subscription required to access the article. ] I visited eBay today and saw that eBayers are doing a brisk business reselling these wristbands. Here are a few examples of auctions I saw:

• One LiveStrong wristband with a BuyItNow price of $30.00.
• Multiple LiveStrong wristbands in one day auctions, with multiple bids well in excess of $1.00.
• Shipping charges of $4.00 or more for one LiveStrong wristband.

The examples I chose don't say anything about donating profits from the auctions to the The Lance Armstrong Foundation. So, I have to assume that these people are hoarding LiveStrong wristbands and trying to profit on their resale.

Some people would say that these eBayers are performing a useful public service by making LiveStrong wristbands available at prices that reflect their true market value. But, by hoarding the wristbands in the first place, they are contributing to the shortage and increasing the likelyhood of receiving a small windfall.

Nobody has to stop doing business because I say so. But, I have no respect for people that bought extra LiveStrong wristbands with the intention of making a profit.

Continue reading "eBayers Hoarding LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands" »

Posted by Dave Aiello at 11:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)

LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands can be
ordered from the Discovery Channel
On-Line Store by customers in Canada
and the United Kingdom. In other countries,
buy from the Lance Armstrong
Foundation On-Line Store.

Over the last few days, thousands of visitors have come to Operation Gadget from Google and other major search engines, looking for information on obtaining a LiveStrong yellow wristband. Apparently, interest in wristbands is particularly high in Europe, where the coverage of Lance Armstrong's sixth consecutive Tour de France victory was particularly intense.

Early on in the marketing effort, LiveStrong supporters in the United States were able to find LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands using the LiveStrong dealer locator. Many of the stores listed there no longer keep LiveStrong Wristbands in stock. That doesn't matter to people who live outside the United States, since LiveStrong Wristbands were never available at retail stores in most countries.

If you live outside the United States, I recommend the following approach:

• If you live in Canada or the United Kingdom, order a 10-pack of LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands from the Discovery Channel On-Line Store. The cost is US$ 10.00 plus shipping and handling. As of February 10, 2005, Discovery has plenty of stock and customer service has been excellent.
• If you do not live in Canada or the UK, order a 10-pack directly from the Lance Armstrong Foundation. This has been particularly successful since July 2004, see Readers Successfully Buying 10-Packs of LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands Directly from the Lance Armstrong Foundation for more information.

Good luck obtaining your LiveStrong wrist band. Wearing one is a great show of support for cancer patients and survivors everywhere.

Update: This article was updated on February 10, 2005 to reflect the latest information about LiveStrong Wristband availability.

Posted by Dave Aiello at 8:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (43) | TrackBacks (0)

There are stories in major European publications that are not making it into the English language sites that provide Tour de France news. A good example of this is the article that appeared in Le Monde a few days ago about the Lance Armstrong Foundation's efforts to raise funds at the Tour de France by selling LiveStrong yellow wristbands. Apparently, Nike is sending a small group of young people to the end of each stage to sell LiveStrong wrist bands for € 1.00 each.

(The Le Monde article is written in French. If you can't read French, follow the suggestions I provide in Translating Tour de France News in Major Non-English Publications for help converting the text to English.)

This is the first exposure that many French cycling fans are getting to the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the LiveStrong Surivorship Program. The Le Monde reporter is apparently surprised that fans are buying LiveStrong yellow wristbands in such large numbers. One young person selling LiveStrong wristbands suggested that his group of 10 co-workers is selling 2,000 to 2,500 LiveStrong wristbands per day.

Amazingly, the article ("La fondation Armstrong collecte des fonds contre le cancer") manages to connect the LiveStrong fund raising effort to allegations of doping against Lance Armstrong. The article says that the book L.A. Confidentiel contains a quote where Jean-Paul Le Bourgeois, head of cancerology services at l'hopital Mondor de Creteil, said that he he rides a bicycle himself and is astonished that anyone who recovered from metastatic cancer was able to win the Tour several times in a row.

An even more dismissive statement was made by Thierry Bouillet of the medical oncology and radiotherapy department at the l'hopital des Peupliers, in Paris. The translated text says:

The cancer specialist, who looked after high level sportsmen suffering from the same evil that the American, explained to have noted "impossibility of bringing back them to their level of performance former to their cancer" .

This is the best example I've found of the extreme political viewpoint present in the European media with respect to Lance Armstrong. You often hear people like Lance Armstrong and Phil Liggett refer to the innuendo expressed in many publications that Armstrong is guilty of doping on a massive scale. Even in articles that talk about the charitable work of Lance Armstrong and his friends, the allegation of doping is made.

As Americans and pro cycling fans, we need to see these allegations for what they are: fundimentally unfair.

Update: If you are looking for places to buy a Livestrong Yellow Wristband after the Tour de France, please consult these Operation Gadget articles:

• Readers Successfully Buying 10-Packs of LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands Directly from the Lance Armstrong Foundation
• Where to Buy a LiveStrong Yellow Wristband
• Suggestions for Finding a LiveStrong Yellow Wristband Outside the United States

If you are looking for information about how to buy Pink Breast Cancer Research Wristbands, please consult this Operation Gadget article:

• Pink Breast Cancer Wristbands Available from Target.com and Amazon.com
• "Living in Pink" Also Running a Wristband Program

Posted by Dave Aiello at 8:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (41) | TrackBacks (0)

Last night, I stopped in to Cranbury Pizza to pick up dinner. While I was paying, a young woman that worked there shouted, "Hey he's got one of those wristbands too!" I looked up and saw that she had been talking to a co-worker who wears a LiveStrong yellow wristband, and they had both just seen me for the first time.

I asked her, "Have you never seen anyone else wearing one of these?" She said "No."

A conversation ensued. The owner of the pizzeria asked me what these wristbands represent. I guess he never thought about it because he'd only seen one of them. I told him about the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the LiveStrong program, and the fact that the Wear Yellow campaign is aimed at raising $5 million to help cancer survivors who have unmet physical, emotional, or practical needs. The owner said, "Well, we all know someone who has survived cancer." Sounds like he'll be looking for a yellow wristband of his own soon.

Hopefully, everyone who wears a LiveStrong wristband knows a bit about the program behind it. You can never tell when you will have the opportunity to tell the story.

Update: Did anyone else notice that Fillippo Pozzato of the Fassa Bortolo cycling team won stage Tour de France Stage 7 wearing a LiveStrong wristband?

Posted by Dave Aiello at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (17) | TrackBacks (0)

LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands are available
from the Discovery Channel On-Line Store
or the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

It's pretty obvious that some people are visiting Operation Gadget looking for information on the availability of LiveStrong yellow wristbands. The Get It Here link prominently displayed on the Wear Yellow website, sends you to the Lance Armstrong Foundation On-Line Store where the wristbands are available in quantity 10, 100, or 1200. Ordering from the Lance Armstrong Foundation On-Line Store is currently the best option for people who live outside the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

For people in the USA, Canada, and the UK, the fastest way to get a LiveStrong Wristband is to order a 10-pack from the Discovery Channel On-Line Store. Discovery Communications is the new sponsor of Lance Armstrong's professional cycling team, and they have made a major commitment to support the goals of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. I ordered two 10-packs from the Discovery Channel in February 2005, and I received my order in six days. The price of the 10-packs is the same as at the LAF, and the money goes to the same place, so you can't go wrong.

These are the most reliable ways to obtain the wristbands at this time, without resorting to buying on eBay. When you buy LiveStrong wristbands on eBay, you often end up paying significantly more than $1.00 plus reasonable shipping costs. No one can guarantee that the extra money you pay will be donated to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Therefore, I would urge people who are committed to the goals of the LiveStrong campaign to buy directly from the LAF or the Discovery Channel On-Line Store and give away the extra wristbands that you and your family cannot personally wear.

Update: This article was updated on September 20, 2004 and February 10, 2005 to reflect the latest information about LiveStrong Wristband availability.

Related articles:

• LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands Available Quickly from the Discovery Channel On-Line Store
• Readers Successfully Buying 10-Packs of LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands Directly from the Lance Armstrong Foundation
• Suggestions for Finding a LiveStrong Yellow Wristband Outside the United States
• Nike and LAF Sell LiveStrong Wrist Bands at End of Each Tour de France Stage, Some European Media is Still Critical
• Meeting Other LiveStrong Yellow Wristband Wearers
• Why There is Some Confusion Over the LiveStrong Campaign Fund Raising Goal

Articles related to how to buy Pink Breast Cancer Research Wristbands:

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Posted by Dave Aiello at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (257) | TrackBacks (0)

Since I got my LiveStrong yellow wristband, I've been confused about the fundraising goal of the campaign. Some websites say the goal is $5 million, others say it's $6 million. Thanks to an interview Lance Armstrong gave to CyclingNews earlier this week, I now have an answer. Here's what Lance Armstrong says about the campaign {emphasis added by me to point out the relevant information}:

Our web guy at the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Randall Macon started probably eighteen months ago creating the content for the Livestrong program and it was a long time before we launched it and it's not even fully launched yet. Livestrong is a division of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, with a separate website (www.Livestrong.Org) that's a resource center for cancer survivors, family members of cancer survivors, anybody with questions. We want this place to be the place that people go, like they're diagnosed, they go to the doctor, they get the bad news, they come home and they go to Livestrong.Org, just to try to find answers to their questions, to try and find support from fellow cancer survivors, people who've been through what they've been through or what they're going to go through. It will be our flagship program over time.

So what happened was Nike came along, heard about it and loved the idea and came to us with the offer of making five million of these yellow wristbands [with Livestrong on them] and selling them for a dollar and giving the proceeds, which is five million dollars, to the LAF.

But to kick it off, [Nike] donated a million {dollars}, so you're talking about six {million}. Last I heard, they'd blown through the five million, I think and are considering making more. And the great thing about a company like Nike, outside of the fact that they actually did it, is that they've got famous athletes all over the world, that they say 'hey another one of your fellow Nike guys has this going on, and will you wear this'... I mean, to pick up L'Equipe (cover page) the other day and to see Thierry Henry, the French soccer hero, who quite frankly I've never watched in my life, running on the practice field before Euro2004 with a yellow wristband on, man, it's amazing!

So, there you have it-- $5 million dollars raised from sales of LiveStrong wristbands, with Nike kicking in $1 million of its own. If you want to get involved, visit WearYellow.com.

Update: If you are looking for places to buy a LiveStrong Yellow Wristband, please consult these Operation Gadget articles:

• Readers Successfully Buying 10-Packs of LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands Directly from the Lance Armstrong Foundation
• Where to Buy a LiveStrong Yellow Wristband
• Suggestions for Finding a LiveStrong Yellow Wristband Outside the United States

Posted by Dave Aiello at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

While we were in Princeton on Wednesday evening, my wife and I stopped into the Princeton Running Company to browse and ask the store personnel about podiatrists that athletes in the area have seen. Inside we noticed a point-of-purchase display of LiveStrong yellow wristbands which are being sold to support a new $6 million fundraising drive by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The LAF's new LiveStrong initiative is aimed at helping cancer survivors improve their quality of life.

These yellow wrist bands are being sold for $1.00 each and all proceeds go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

My wife and I have a number of friends and relatives who have recently had cancer. My friend Peter Andreas Frank passed away last year from brain cancer after a long illness. We also have survivors of testicular, prostate, and breast cancer who are very close to us. It is in their honor that I will wear a LiveStrong wrist band this summer.

The display and packaging of the LiveStrong wristbands that we saw in Princeton strongly suggest that Nike is using its distribution clout to get them out to local sports stores around the country. (They deserve a lot of credit for participating, if this is the case.) Look for them next time you are at the store, and buy one to show your support. More information about this program is available at WearYellow.com.

More information on Operation Gadget:

• Readers Successfully Buying 10-Packs of LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands Directly from the Lance Armstrong Foundation
• Where to Buy a LiveStrong Yellow Wristband
• Nike and LAF Sell LiveStrong Wrist Bands at End of Each Tour de France Stage, Some European Media is Still Critical
• Why There is Some Confusion Over the LiveStrong Campaign Fund Raising Goal

Posted by Dave Aiello at 1:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBacks (0)