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Colored Lapel Ribbons: Your Charity Color Guide

It seems that everyone you know is either sporting a wristband or a colored lapel ribbon to show support of his or her favorite charity or cause. There are a lot of charities out there, and you may not know the difference between a red lapel ribbon and a pink one. Here is a quick guide that will help you decipher the meaning of all these colored ribbons in no time at all.

Yellow: You have heard the old song, “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Around the Old Oak Tree”. Traditionally, a yellow ribbon was meant to signify a loved one that was serving away in the military. The same holds true today. A yellow ribbon often indicates that someone has a loved one serving in a war or in the military. Even if you don’t know anyone serving, you can wear a yellow ribbon to show your support for the military troops. A yellow ribbon may also signify cancer awareness. Lance Armstrong made his cause known by selling yellow wristbands; so many people also wear the yellow ribbons for cancer awareness.

Pink: Pink is probably one of the most popular colors when it comes to supporting a charity. When you see someone wearing a pink lapel ribbon, you know instantly that the person is supporting breast cancer funding and research. Perhaps that person is a breast cancer patient or survivor, or that person may have a friend or family that is suffering from breast cancer. In fact, these pink ribbons aren’t just plain ribbons any more. You can buy very nice pink pins that resemble the pink ribbons and wear them with just about any outfit you own.

Red: Red is another popular color for charities. The most common use for red is to show your support for AIDS research and awareness. However, red can also stand for many other causes and charities. These include tobacco and second hand smoke awareness, drug awareness, the American Heart Association, and diabetes.

Blue: Blue is also a color that is widely used by several different causes. For example, someone wearing a blue colored lapel ribbon may be showing his or her support for diabetes, kids with cancer or even Fragile X. Blue may also be used to represent conditions such as Neurofibromatosis, Epilepsy (blue and red), cystic fibrosis, and autism. A light blue is used to represent support for those with Apraxia and blue and pink are used together to support birth defects.

White: White is a color that is often used in pet rescue organizations. You often see people who support rescue organization wearing white lapel ribbons, or white ribbons with small paw prints on the front. White may also be used to represent those in favor of a peace movement or those showing support for bone diseases and bone cancer.

Purple: Purple is often used to represent several different cause and charities. The main ones include Chrohn’s disease, testicular cancer, pancreatic cancer, anti-violence and lupus. The color that is used can range from light purple to a deep purple.

Rainbow: The colors of the rainbow are synonymous with gay pride. Within the gay community, many show their support by wearing a rainbow colored ribbon or wristband. These ribbons may be striped to symbolize the colors of the rainbow or may have several different ribbons attached together. You can also purchase metal pins that symbolize the rainbow for this purpose.

Whatever cause or charity you support or feel passionate about, you can find a matching ribbon to wear. You will feel proud knowing that you are spreading the word about your favorite charity wherever you go.