The cancer ribbon history dates back to the late 1970’s when yellow ribbons were tied around trees. This was done to support the American Embassy in Iran during the time of the hostage crisis. Using ribbons to bring awareness then started with breast cancer. A woman named Charlotte Hayley started by making peach ribbons. She did this to bring awareness to breast cancer. She wanted to lobby the National Cancer Institute to raise breast cancer awareness and increase the prevention budget. In 1992, Charlotte had offers from Self Magazine and Estee Lauder to partner with them. She refused their offers as she did not want to commercialize what she was doing.
Executives then launched their own awareness campaign and changed the color to pink. In October, pink ribbons were worn as a symbol of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Ribbons have been used to bring awareness to several causes such as: Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Red Ribbons for the fight against AIDS. It came to the point where the US Patent and Trademark Office started to consider awareness ribbons as a universal symbol. This means you can not trademark a ribbon without being modified.
You can see various ribbon colors be adorned for different causes. The color will let you know what cause it represents.
The Pink Ribbons
The first pink ribbons were started by the Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. You could see her handing out ribbons to breast cancer survivors running in The Race For The Cure circa 1990.
Ribbon Wearing History
The first ribbons that were used with meaning were the tokens given to knights in the Middle Ages in Europe. Years after yellow ribbons were used during the English Civil War. This then spread to America. In 1917 George Norton got copy write for a song entitled “Round Her Neck She Wears A Yellow Ribbon” In the early 1970’s if you listened to the radio you most likely heard a song “Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree.”
The Purpose Of Ribbons
Ribbons can be used to bring awareness to a disease or signify that a person has been affected by that disease. You can find people placing ribbons around neighborhoods signifying that the ones afflicted are not alone in their battles. Ribbons bring awareness and the knowledge of different diseases. This evokes empathy for those who have been affected.
Wearing Ribbons
Ribbons can be in the form of stickers on your car, or pins on your clothes. Here at Cancer Ribbon Eyewear we have designed and had manufactured cancer ribbon glasses. These can be worn with no prescription at all, or with a prescription with all of the options available with other designer eyewear. We cut all of the lenses on-site and with every purchase we donate to The American Cancer Society with Ziess. In March of 2019 Carl Zeiss Vision partnered with the American Cancer Society to raise awareness. All of our Cancer Ribbon Eyewear prescription glasses come with Zeiss lenses.
To order your cancer ribbon eyewear submit your order and we will ship it to you for free!
