Known as Gel bracelets or sometimes jelly bracelets, the Multiple Sclerosis Bracelets are a way to show your support for MS patients, for MS research, or both. The most popular MS bracelets are orange in color and will be stamped with “MS JOIN THE MOVEMENT” or with the name of the most popular national MS organization “MS nationalmssociety.org”. You can get them either one by one for personal or family wear or you can find them in bulk if you want to use them to raise funds for an MS cause or promote an MS related event. MS bracelets are seen around a lot lately. It could be part of the overall increase in the fad of jelly bracelets, or it may be that the disease in general is getting more exposure. Either way, it is a good thing.
Multiple Sclerosis Bracelets are just one of many awareness bracelets available
The Multiple Sclerosis bracelets are one of many awareness bracelets available. They started getting popular when the Lance Armstrong Foundation started using yellow rubber bracelets to raise funds for cancer research in 2004. When Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer, he was at the height of his popularity after winning his record number of Tour De’ France bicycle races. His notoriety was helpful in getting people to start wearing the yellow bracelets and they ended up raising millions to help fund cancer research. It didn’t take others long to notice the trend and along with the Kidney Foundation (green), and Diabetes Foundation (blue), the orange MS bracelets became one of the top three rubber bracelets sold in the U.S. in the latter part of the decade.
Not all rubber bracelets are made alike
Teenagers have really spread the jelly bracelet fad lately, with the popularity coming and going, as all fads do. Legend has it that in the early 2000’s, rubber bracelets were supposed to be a secret code used by teenagers in a sex game of sorts. They called them “sex bracelets”. Allegedly, the color of bracelet that a teenage girl would wear was meant to indicate what kind of sexual act the girl was willing to participate in with the boy who would pull them off their wrists. The acts ranged from kissing to oral sex, to intercourse depending on the color. It even got so popular that some schools banned students from wearing them.
But lately, MS bracelets are making a comeback as fundraising tools and the last couple years have seen the rise in popularity in pink rubber bracelets standing for Breast Cancer Awareness. The pink seems to be the most popular of all in 2011, but as with all trends, that will likely change. If you have a favorite cause or charity that you want to raise awareness of, a rubber or “jelly” bracelet is a very visible and inexpensive way to do so.
If you are a teenager looking for the secret color code meanings for the sex game, you’ll have to do your own research.
