Lance+Armstrong

BP: 29 Jan 2009 [|www.infoplease.com/lancearmstrongtimeline] BP: 30 Jan 2009 [|www.lycos.com/info/lance-armstrong-cancer]. BP: 30 Jan 2009 [|www.livestrong.com]. BP: 30 Jan 2009 [|www.csrwire.com/news]. BP: 3 Feb 2009 [|http://www.boulderreport.bycicling.com]. BP: 18 Feb 2009 . BP: __ 18 Feb 2009 . __          BP: __18 Feb 2009 .__
 * 1971:Lance Armstrong was born September 18 in Plano,TX
 * 1987: profesional athlete at 16.
 * 1989:Competed at junior Championships in Moscow.
 * 1991: Became U.S National Amateur champion.
 * 1993: At age 22 is the youngest road racing world champion in ever.
 * 1995: Is diagnosed with testicular cancer in October, then learns that it has spread to his lungs and brain.
 * 1997: Founds the Lance Armstrong Foundation which provide information and support for cancer survivors.
 * 2000: Publishes //Its Not About The Bike//, a book about his comback from cancer which becomes a bestseller.
 * 2003: Publishes //Every Second Counts// 2004: Helps launch the Livestrong campaign, a fundraiser supported by the sale of millions of yellow bracelets. All proceeds go to support cancer survivors through the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
 * 2005: Retires from cycling career.
 * 2008: Time Magazine vote him as one of the 100 most influential people.
 * Prior to winning the Tour de France 7 times he survived testicular cancer, a germ cell tumor that metastisized to his brain and lungs which he was given a less than 50% chance of survival.
 * Remarkably, the chemotherapy killed his cancer but it did not kill his spirit of racing.
 * Unsure of his future in cycling, Lance began training only five months after his diagnosis with cancer.
 * Cancer left him torn emotionally as well as physically.
 * He had never been challenged physically before because of his outstanding athleticism.
 * His cancer treatments included brain and testicular surgery, and extensive chemotherapy.
 * Diagnosed with testicular cancer at 25, world-champion cyclist Lance Armstrong vowed to beat the disease – to become a cancer survivor, not a victim.
 * He took an active role in educating himself about his disease and its treatment.
 * Armed with knowledge and confidence in medicine, he underwent aggressive treatment and beat the disease.
 * This traumatic chapter amplifies the extraordinary nature of Armstrong’s cycling career.
 * Less than two years after revealing his illness, he embarked on his professional cycling comeback and crossed the Tour de France finishing line wearing the yellow jersey.
 * Even though Armstrong was very sick, he did not give up hope. His motto was to live strong.
 * After he got well, he started riding again and quickly returned to his old form with a number of top-five finishes and several victories.
 * The LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign "aims to inspire, empower and mobilize people in countries around the world, adding more voices to the movement. The campaign has already seen an outstanding show of support".
 * By 2010, cancer is projected to become the leading cause of death worldwide.
 * There are more than 106,000 new cases of cancer and approximately 38,000 deaths from the disease each year.
 * The Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) announced today that more than 20 million LIVESTRONG wristbands have now been purchased.
 * The Wear Yellow Live Strong campaign, a LAF and Nike partnership, was launched last May in an effort to raise funds for LAF programs that help people with cancer live strong.
 * Wristbands have been sold to citizens of all 50 states and more than 60 countries.
 * Since the launch of the campaign, wristbands have been spotted on a number of athletes, Olympians, musicians, actors and political leaders.
 * The campaign would focus on cancer awareness and education designed to increase public knowledge about the disease, encourage early intervention and decrease the stigma associated with it.
 * The money made from the Livestrong campaign goes to the LAF organization, and goes toward getting information for people with cancer and cancer survivors, it also goes toward researching teh effects of cancer in different country.
 * Researchers did an 18 month syudy in 20 countries, looking at what the burden of cancer is in each country, the media’s take on the disease there and so on.
 * They focused on groups looked at the health care infrastructure in the county.
 * The money spent by LAF on cancer research since its inception: $14 million.
 * So far the Livestrong campaign has raised over $70 million dollars.
 * The LAF is a national organization headquarters are in Austin.
 * Their mission is to inspire and empower people affected by cancer and one of the patients, who is on the livestrong board has this motto "don’t strive to be the biggest organization or raise the most money, strive to make the biggest impact". And that is exaclty what they do.
 * Before he was fully recovered and knew his own fate, Lance established the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
 * This was the start of his life as an activist for people living with cancer and world representative to the cancer community.
 * LAF was created to offer cancer patients information, knowledge, and attitude that are important for dealing with cancer and its exhausting treatments.
 * LAF is founded on four key programs that provide resources that cancer victims can utilize to help battle and deal with the difficulties of their illness.
 * The first program focuses on education and offers patients and their doctors the information they need to successfully choose the right treatment method.
 * Education not only concentrates on medical advice, but it is also open to give emotional support as well.
 * Another of the core programs is advocacy, especially at political gatherings and lobby sessions where representatives of people suffering from cancer encourage the government to take action against the war on cancer.
 * Representation can help increase research funding and promote new scientific options that may lead to treatment options in the future.
 * A public health program is the third program that offers cancer patients and their families post treatment support and special services.
 * The ultimate goal of the LAF is to further cancer research.
 * Through extensive fundraising, the donated money supports and offers financial assistance to doctors and scientists to develop clinical trials and medications to provide advanced cancer treatment.
 * The funding also aides programs who aim to improve the lives of those living with cancer and assisting them with the daily challenges.
 * In 2003, LAF launched two educational resources, the LiveStrong Survivorship Notebook and the LiveStrong online Resource for Cancer Survivors.
 * Both provide information on the physical, practical and emotional aspects of surviving the disease.
 * They are free resources for cancer victims, survivors and families to explore.
 * In response to the start of Lance’s LiveStrong theme, Nike approached LAF to create 5 million yellow wristbands with “LIVESTRONG” engraved on them in support of Lance during his sixth Tour de France.
 * The yellow wristband has its roots in “baller bands,” rubber bands that street basketball players wear on their wrists to get psyched up for games.
 * Nike initially thought to make baller bands with different messages for promotional items, but the idea wrapped around the LiveStrong campaign instead.
 * The wristbands’ start was support for Lance’s efforts in both cycling and raising awareness for cancer across the nation. Armstrong and his entire team wore the yellow wristband.
 * The Lance Armstrong Foundation and Nike launched the Wear Yellow Live Strong campaign on May 17, 2004.
 * The campaign’s goals were to raise money for cancer research, increase cancer awareness and encourage people to live life to the fullest.
 * Nike’s goal was to raise $5 million through wristband sales on top of the $1 million they donated to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. All proceeds would eventually go to LAF in efforts to raise $25 million.
 * This was a significant milestone for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and Nike’s corporate relationship, considering Nike was the only sponsor to stick with Lance when he was diagnosed with cancer.
 * During the 2004 Summer Olympics, the wristbands were given to each U.S. athlete to wear on their arm to show support.
 * The wristbands became an astounding craze overnight and gave rise to “cause marketing” –the pairing of a product with a social mission.
 * Both the 2004 Tour de France and Summer Olympics created national media attention for Lance’s LiveStrong wristband.
 * Media such as People Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, and Advertising Age were drawn to this yellow rubber silicon wristband.
 * Appearances and endorsements on television shows such as Oprah raised the wristbands profile to a fashionable level.
 * The alliance between Nike and the Lance Armstrong Foundation not only created an awareness wristband, but it also sparked a consumer craze.
 * The wristbands cost $1 a piece and the proceeds go directly to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
 * Everything about the wristband breathes Lance. The engraved “LiveStrong” is the foundation’s motto.
 * The color yellow signifies the lead rider’s jersey in the Tour de France and is also the color of hope.
 * After their debut, the wristbands were worn by Lance and his team at the Tour de France; the U.S. Summer Olympic athletes; celebrities such as Matt Damon, Bruce Willis and Robin Williams; and even politicians such as John Kerry.
 * They were summer 2004’s hardest item to get.
 * Armstrong foundation, but it was the visual symbol of concern that was valued more so than the actual cause it was supporting.
 * The wristbands are usually worn for personal reasons, whether to support someone fighting cancer or tribute to someone who has lost their battle.
 * The bright yellow attracts attention and has been compared to the red AIDS awareness ribbons.
 * The difference between the AIDS ribbon and the LiveStrong wristband is the lack of controversy surrounding the wristband’s visible concern for cancer.
 * The most interesting fact of the wristband is its association with Lance’s heroic battle over cancer at the peak of his fame.
 * The LiveStrong wristband satisfies the desire to have something to believe in, making it a “champion of the good-will game”.
 * The wristband carries a simple message that even kids can identify with.
 * In particular, teenagers were drawn to it because not only do proceeds go to a good cause, but it is a cheap way to look cool.
 * The wristband was versatile and could be worn with any outfit.
 * The LiveStrong craze was a powerful reminder to businesses not to underestimate the power of the youth consumer market.
 * By 2005, fifty-five million wristbands were wrapped around people’s arms.
 * In spite of the fashion trend they started, the wristband-clad community understood the real meaning behind the wristband.
 * The LiveStrong campaign gave them a charitable cause and paired it with an element of fashion, making it a very successful campaign.
 * After the initial release of the wristband, many non-profit organizations followed in LAF’s footsteps, pushing for donations in return for a colorful wristband to let others know of one’s philanthropic efforts.
 * The “Wear Yellow Live Strong” campaign has been through years of continued success.
 * The wristband is still visibly worn on many arms, but not to the extent that it was in the early stages of the campaign.
 * The wristband’s popularity followed a bell curve path.
 * The Lance Armstrong Foundation conducted research to determine their target countries by assessing public perception of cancer, media audits and press coverage, and the medical environment.
 * They determined their target countries would be Italy, South Africa, and Mexico.
 * Their global message will emphasize the fact that cancer kills more than 8 million people every year worldwide which totals more than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.
 * The LiveStrong campaign is leveraging Lance to carry this message as he makes his comeback to the cycling world.