Wear your heart on your wrist

OREM — Livestrong.

Find Brooke and Find Garrett.

And now, from an Orem company — Freedom.

Colored rubber wristbands engraved with poignant messages are the hot new American trend, raising money one dollar at a time for causes like cancer awareness, the searches for missing persons and U.S. soldiers and their families.

Psychologists say the bands also provide wearers another way to define themselves or to identify with a famous person or cause. That's why companies are racing to capitalize on the fad and become the first to market for-profit products, like BYU Cougars in dark blue and Utah Utes in crimson red.

"Five months ago I couldn't find anyone offering to manufacture or sell wristbands," said Orem businessman Steve Cloward, who owns Freedombands Inc. and Fanbandz.com. "Now there are probably 250 brokers here in the United States. The first to market is going to win."

Lance Armstrong and Nike unwittingly launched the social phenomenon this summer, even before Armstrong won his record-breaking sixth Tour de France wearing a yellow "LIVESTRONG" band. More than 20 million of the flexible silicone bracelets are in circulation worldwide and money raised goes to the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer awareness.

People who go to the trouble of tracking down and purchasing a wristband want to identify with a person or cause, according to Orem family psychologist Geret Giles.

"This is a phenomenon that probably falls within the category of branding," Giles said. "I believe wristbands are another way to help people define themselves. People assign certain values and abilities to Lance Armstrong. For a dollar, they can associate with him and borrow his image with the wristband."

Wristbands are big at several Utah high schools and junior highs, where teenagers feel the need for identity stronger than most.

"Those are the ages that are most brand-conscious," Giles said. "They're very aware of groups, cliques, social pressure and fashion."

Armstrong's success inspired the families of missing Brigham Young University student Brooke Wilberger (pink www.FINDBROOKE.com bands) and Elk Ridge teenager Garrett Bardsley (blue "FINDGARRETT" bands) to use the idea to solicit donations for the searches for their children.

A donor provided the Wilbergers with 20,000 wristbands. Those are nearly gone and the family has ordered another 25,000. The Bardsleys ordered 4,000 and have sold 3,500.