MINDSTRONG versus LIVESTRONG
Author
Thomas Wiest
CEO, Aspirience Home Care
I couldn’t believe it. There I was, searching for ‘it’ on www.eBay.com as their advertising proclaims. I was looking for some deals on some merchandise that I really did not need but thought I did, and I found them. I really found them. I had only heard of them but had never really seen any before. They were pulled from being sold last year due to a cease and desist order and potential future litigation of being sued by another organization for any further sales. I wasn’t fast enough and this auction ended early.
I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t think there were any around. At the height of their popularity, they were actually, legally available for sale for about 3-4 months. Which does not sound like a lot of time in the first place and in the non-profit, dot org world, it’s not. Once a ‘cause’ is founded and established it can live on for years and years.
I couldn’t believe it. What I am writing about is the Alzheimer Association’s (www.alz.org) MINDSTRONG wristbands that were available for a brief few months during the summer of 2004. They are identical to the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s (www.livestrong.org) LIVESTRONG yellow wristbands except they are purple and say MINDSTRONG on them.
The Lance Armstrong Foundation is a nonprofit organization located in Austin, Texas. Founded in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist, Lance Armstrong, the LAF inspires and empowers people with cancer. Their yellow wristbands came to life soon thereafter at $1 a piece.
Here’s an amazing statistic. Approximately 55 million people today across the globe wear a LIVESTRONG wristband in support of people living with cancer.
Think about it…at a buck a band that’s $55 million dollars! Impressive indeed.
So, here’s where my story picks up…
With my mom having Alzheimer’s, I wanted to support the Alzheimer’s Association by purchasing some of their wristbands. I contacted the national level association to inquire about purchasing some and was told they were informed by the Lance Armstrong Foundation to stop selling their wristbands because their MINDSTRONG wristbands were too similar to the LIVESTRONG wristbands. That’s what I couldn’t believe.
They said I could contact each individual state association to see if they had any left and for a ‘donation’ I could receive a wristband as a gift. After a few calls, I tracked some down in Florida and for a ‘donation’ I finally received my wristbands. Finally.
I couldn’t believe it. I know our attention for the dollars we donate is being fought for everywhere. But that one non-profit group could do that to another non-profit group, just didn’t seem right.
It’s important to know, you should be STRONG in whatever you believe is important to you.