Press Coverage

Images:

Derek Sharp
photo 1
photo 2

Articles:

What Color is your bracelet
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Helping Israel One Wrist at a Time
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Hebrew Academy student leads the tzedakah 'band' wagon
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Band-Aid For Israel

While they appear to be little more than fancy rubber bands, a new genre of
$1 bracelets are among the newest and most sought-after accessories.

They've been sold to bring in money and raise awareness for a slew of
causes: yellow for cancer research, pink for breast cancer, teal for ovarian
cancer and red for AIDS.

Now with the recent creation of $1 royal blue wristbands reading "Yad
Chazaka," Hebrew for strong hand, the fashion trend with a charitable twist
will make its mark on The Holy Land.

All proceeds from Yad Chazaka bracelet sales (www.yadchazaka.org)will
benefit a wide range of Israeli charities, including the Israel Association
for Immigrant Children; Shalva, the Center for Mentally and Physically
Challenged Children; Dental Volunteers for Israel; and Kibbutz Merav's
Children's Group Home.

Yad Chazaka bracelets were the brainchild of Woodmere, L.I., natives Stuart
Katz and Fred Wilkowski, who had noticed a growing number of neighborhood
teens donning the colorful, cause-oriented wristbands. "We figured we could
do something similar for Israel, and the idea was born," said Katz, who
along with Wilkowski, paid out-of-pocket to purchase 30,000 of the blue
bands. "We chose the motto, Yad Chazaka, because Israel needs a strong hand
to survive."

In the past two weeks 5,000 bracelets have been sold. Many local preteens
have begun hawking the wristbands as part of tzedakah projects in the months
leading up their bar and bat mitzvahs.

The rubber band wristlet craze began earlier this year when the charitable
foundation of cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong began selling
bright yellow "Live Strong" wristbands. To date, they have raised nearly $30
million for cancer research, education and advocacy.