The MDS Foundation effectively used their green awareness ribbon by pairing it with a direct call-to-action on social media. This same image was then printed on promotional water bottles and t-shirts for all the attendees. Source: mandisdonorblog.wordpress.com Yellow Awareness Ribbon https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/11/17/surgeon-general-1-7-us-face-substance-addiction/93993474/ The awareness ribbon made its debut in 1979. The very first ones were literally yellow ribbons tied around an old oak tree. They were used to support the American embassy during the Iranian hostage Crisis. Red has many different meanings in the world of awareness ribbons. This bold color demands attention, which is why it’s used to symbolize addiction, HIV/AIDS, blood cancer, heart disease, tuberculosis, disaster relief, and zika virus among many other notable causes.

Fitzsimons, T. (2018, May 25). A Record 4.5 Percent of U.S. Adults Identify as LGBT, Gallup Estimates. Retrieved April 26, 2019, from The Headstrong Foundation, which raises funds to fight cancer, has the green ribbon appear as shoelaces in their logo. At the bottom, they feature a slogan that lets you know exactly what they’re all about. Source: doveroilcompany.com Gold Awareness Ribbon Show your support for sexual assault survivors by wearing a teal awareness ribbon. This color was chosen to represent Sexual Assault Awareness Month in 2000, and organizations like the National Sexual Violence Resource Center have actively promoted it ever since. Miscarriage Awareness Ribbon Awareness ribbons do even more for your cause when they’re part of something that will be used every day like a pen or tote bag. Red Cross Blood Service. (2019). What You Should Know About Platelet Donations. Retrieved April 25, 2019, from

Adams, C. (2017, June 8). Father of 4-Year-Old Boy Who Died of ‘Dry Drowning’ Speaks Out: ‘This Could Happen to Anyone.’ Retrieved April 25, 2019, from Waxman, O. (2018, October 1). Wearing a Pink Ribbon for Breast Cancer Awareness? Here’s How Awareness Ribbons Became a Thing. Retrieved June 6, 2019, from National Sexual Violence Resource Center. (2023). History of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Retrieved from, American Association for Cancer Research. April is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month. Retrieved from, Hafner, J. (2016, November 17). Surgeon General: 1 in 7 in USA Will Face Substance Addiction. Retrieved April 25, 2019, from

Grantspace. (2019). How Many Nonprofit Organizations are There in the U.S.? Retrieved June 6, 2019, from The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence rallied people to come together and create change directly to Congress. The event was announced on promotional flyers, with the teal ribbon printed big and bold right at the top. All of these efforts have paid off, as the organization has helped create new legislation, such as the Violence Against Women Act. A Brief History of Awareness Ribbons Top https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/4/27/15424050/us-underreports-lead-poisoning-cases-map-community

Wired Edged Velvet Ribbon

https://givingusa.org/giving-usa-2018-americans-gave-410-02-billion-to-charity-in-2017-crossing-the-400-billion-mark-for-the-first-time/ An awareness ribbon is only part of what it takes to make a difference. You are ultimately what’s going to make the change. If you have a cause you’re passionate about, get involved in any way you can. Ultimately, it’s the person wearing the awareness ribbon that creates a better future! Perhaps the biggest moment in ribbon history, though, came in 1991 when Charlotte Haley created pink ribbons to bring attention to breast cancer. Her ribbons were so successful, they became the symbol for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and inspired more colors for other causes, such as red ribbons for the AIDS movement in the 80s. Sadly, there are over 3 million cases of child abuse reported every year in the United States. One grandmother in Virginia took action, and as a tribute to her grandson, tied a blue ribbon to the antenna of her car. The Blue Ribbon Campaign spread across the country and is now a symbol to raise awareness. Mental Health Awareness Ribbon Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). The Burden of Vision Loss. Retrieved April 26, 2019, from

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults in the United States. Retrieved April 26, 2019, from Wear orange.” That is the powerful message from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. This organization was created to honor the memory of Hadiya Pendleton who was only 15 years old when she was shot and killed in Chicago. National Tragedies Awareness Ribbon Graphic designers for the organization Visual AIDs wanted a symbol to represent people living with HIV and their caregivers. They decided on the red awareness ribbon since red is a “connection to blood and the idea of passion.” Child Abuse Awareness Ribbon According to the American Association for Cancer Research, testicular cancer is one of the most treatable types of cancer. The purple awareness ribbon is used to bring attention to the disease and to encourage men 20 and older to get regular physical exams and blood tests. HIV/AIDS Awareness Ribbon The yellow awareness ribbon is used to show support for our troops and to bring attention to Prisoners of War or Missing in Action (POW/MIA). Yellow is also the suicide awareness ribbon and is used to represent the prevention of suicide.

What Are the Other Types of Awareness Ribbons?

Personalized Cause. (2019). Cause Awareness Ribbon Meanings By Color. Retrieved April 24, 2019, from U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2019). Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. Retrieved April 26, 2019, from Mike Emme was only 17 years old when he took his own life. His friends and family responded by pinning yellow ribbons on yellow pieces of paper and mailing them to their loved ones. From that point, yellow was used for the suicide awareness ribbon. Testicular Cancer Awareness Ribbon Disabled World. (2019). Awareness Ribbons Chart: Color and Meaning of Awareness Ribbon Causes. Retrieved April 26, 2019, from

Blue for a boy, pink for a girl. Those are the colors used by most hospitals when a new baby is born, so as a tribute, the miscarriage awareness ribbon is pink and blue. Awareness Ribbon Swag & Promotional Items Top For National Childhood Cancer Awareness month, the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation invited people on Facebook to change their cover photo to a childhood picture. The announcement featured an alarming statistic paired with the vibrant yellow awareness ribbon. Source: tissuetales.com Red Awareness Ribbon Frostensen, S. (2017, April 27). 1.2 Million Children in the US Have Lead Poisoning. We’re Only Treating Half of Them. Retrieved April 26, 2019, from