Rubber bracelets: fashion friend of parks

Parks & Recreation, May, 2005

It's official--Lance has one. Melissa Etheridge has one. Now city parks have one. Rubber bracelets, made popular by Lance Armstrong's Live Strong yellow band, are the hot way to gain support for a cause. In fact, many park and recreation agencies are jumping onboard with their own versions.

Milwaukee Recreation just joined the latest fashion trend with a blue "Experience Life" wristband. The department is selling them for $1 each to raise money for the community's youth programs. "Milwaukee Recreation recognized the value of creating our own wristbands to raise funds and generate awareness for quality youth programs," said Mary Gissal, Milwaukee Recreation's director. "I know we're just jumping on the proverbial bandwagon with this idea, but the wristbands are fun and it's all for a good cause."

But Milwaukee isn't the only park department jumping on the bandwagon. Fairfax County Park Foundation in Virginia is also selling a green version of the wristband that reads "Preserve Protect Play." Its sales will generate money for the county's parks and recreation programs.