One of the best safety practices is Awareness…. In a lot of causes, we use Awareness Ribbons to remind ourselves… Ever wonder how that got started???

Awareness Ribbons… the History:

Awareness Ribbons go all the way back to 1917 when the Yellow awareness ribbon, which is used to show support for Military serving abroad. It was even written into a marching song that was sung by the military.

In 1970, that same ribbon was introduced into another song, “Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Ole Oak Tree”. This song was about a woman whose husband was taken hostage in Iran.

In 1986 the AIDS Faith alliance, later known as the Christian Action on AIDS, held a conference and the rainbow ribbon was introduced. In the 1990″s this color was changed to Red, the color of Passion. Since then ribbon colors have been used for a variety of causes and are used to symbolize various concerns depending on the color and pattern.

Where do they come up with all the colors? Many colors have become adopted and commonly recognized over the years because the cause creates a ribbon that symbolizes their story… Pink for Breast Cancer is probably the easiest to remember and one of the most well-known.

There are also a few out there which have alternate colors for causes, such as Domestic Violence. Sometimes the Purple ribbon is used and sometimes they choose to use the Teal & Purple combination.

But when it comes to the most commonly known diseases or causes, below is a fairly inclusive list of known adopted colors.

Cancer Color Reference List:

• Pink – Breast Cancer
• Teal – Ovarian Cancer, Vulvar Cancer
• Pearl – Lung Cancer
• Purple – Pancreatic & Thymona Cancer & Leiomyosarcoma
• Orange – Leukemia & Kidney Cancer
• Black – Melanoma
• Navy – Colon Cancer
• Burgundy – Multiple Myeloma
• Grey – Brain Cancer
• Blue – Prostate Cancer
• Gold – Childhood Cancer & Osteosarcoma
• Burgundy & Ivory – Head & Neck Cancer
• Lime – Lymphoma
• Peach – Uterine Cancer
• Teal & White – Cervical Cancer
• Yellow – Sarcoma/Bone Cancer & Bladder Cancer
• Green – Liver Cancer & Adrenal Cancer
• Periwinkle – Esophageal Cancer & Stomach Cancer
• Teal/Pink/Blue – Thyroid Cancer
• Lavender – All Cancers
• Blue & Green – Anal Cancer
• Orchid – Testicular Cancer
• Amber – Appendix Cancer
• Marigold, Blue & Purple – Bladder Cancer
• Zebra Print – Carcinoid Cancer & Endocrine Cancer
• Rainbow – Adrenocortical carcinoma
• Brown – Colon Cancer, Colorectal Cancer
• Light Blue – Prostate Cancer

General Ribbon Colors and Meanings:

• Pink Ribbon: Breast Cancer, Birth Parents & Nursing Mothers
• Lime Green Ribbon: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Gastroschisis, Lyme Disease, Lymphoma (alt red), Muscular Dystrophy, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (Lymph Node Cancer), Sandhoff Disease, Spinal Cord Injuries.
• Peach Ribbon: Endometrial Cancer, Uterine Cancer & Vaginal Cancer
• Red Ribbon: AIDS/HIV, Aplastic Anemia, Aperts Syndrome, Blood Cancers and Disorders, Bronchiolitis Obliterans (BOS), Burn Victims, Cardiovascular Disease, Congenital Heart Defects (alt red & blue), Congenital Heart Disease (alt red & blue), Congestive Heart Failure, Courage and Inspiration, DARE, Diamond Blackfan Anemia, Driving under the Influence, Dysautonomia, Epidermolysis Bellosa, Evans Syndrome, Factor XI Deficiency, Heart Disease, Hemophilia, High Blood Pressure, Huffing, Hypertension, Inhalant Abuse, Long Q-T Syndrome, Love, Lymphoma (alt lime), MADD, Marfan Syndrome, Poland Syndrome, Project Red Flag, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, Sniffing Abuse, Stroke, Substance Abuse, Supraventricular Tachycardia, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, Tuberculosis, Von Willebrand’s Disease, Wegener’s Granulomatosis and Wolf-Parkinson-White.
• Teal Ribbon: Agoraphobia, Anxiety Disorder, Batten Disease, Cervical Cancer, Chari Malformation (alt purple), Dissociative Identity Disorder, Ectodermal Dysphasia, Food Allergies, Fragile X Syndrome, Hoarding, Marker X Syndrome, Martin-Bell Syndrome, Myasthenia Gravis, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Ovarian Cancer, Panic Disorder, Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), Polycycstic Ovarian Syndrome, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Progressive Supanuclear Palsy, Rape, Sexual Assault, Substance Abuse (alt Red), Tourette’s Syndrome, Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN), Tsunami Victims, Uterine Cancer and Vulvar Cancer.
• Green Ribbon: Adrenal Cancer, BiPolar Disorder, Bone Marrow Donation, Bronchiolitis Obliterans (BOS), Cerebral Palsy, Childhood Depression, Dwarfism awareness, Depression, Environment, Eye Injury Prevention, Fanconi’s Syndrome, Fibrodysplasia Ossifican’s Progressiva, Freedom, Gastroparesis, Glaucoma, Growth & rebuilding, Kidney Cancer & disease, Kidney Donation, Leukemia (Alt Orange), Literacy, Living Organ Donation, Manic Depression, Mental Health, Mental Illness (Bi-Polar), Mental Retardation, Missing Children (alt yellow), Mitochondrial Disease, Nephrotic Syndrome, Neural Tube Defects, Neurofibromatosis, Organ Donation, Organ Transplant, Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, Pruned belly Syndrome, Safe Driving, Pedestrian Safety, Save Darfur, Spinal Cord Injury and research, Stem Cell donor and Research, Tissue Donation, Traumatic Brain Injury, Von Hippel Lindau and Worker Safety.
• Grey Ribbon: Allergies, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, Aphasia, Asthma, Brain Cancer, Brain Tumors, Diabetes & Mental illness (Borderline Personality Disorder)
• Pink & Blue Ribbon: Amniotic Fluid Embolism, Baby Safe Haven, Birth defects, Male Breast Cancer, Hyperemesis Graviduram, Hyperammonemia, Infant Loss, Infertility, Miscarriage, Pregnancy Loss, Premature Birth, Stillbirth, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) & Twin to Twin transfusion syndrome, Turners Syndrome, chILD (Pediatric bronchiolitis obliterans).
• USA Flag Ribbon: National Support, Fireworks Safety, Flag, World Trade Center Victims & Heroes
• Puzzle Ribbon: Autism & Asperger Syndrome
• Violet Ribbon: Hodgkin’s Disease & Testicular Cancer
• Orange Ribbon: Agent Orange, Cultural Diversity, Hunger, Leukemia (alt green), Lupus (alt purple), Melanoma (alt black), Kidney Cancer (Renal Cell Carcinoma), Motorcycle Safety, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Racial Tolerance, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome, Self Injury, Sensory Processing Disorder, Spinal Cancer & Prader-Willi Syndrome.
• White Ribbon: Adoptee, Adoption, Anti-Child Pornography, Anti-Pornography, Anti-War, Blindness, Bone Cancer, Bone Disease, Child exploitation, Child Sexual Abuse/Assault, Community Support, Congenital Cataracts, Elderly Affairs, Hernia, Holocaust Remembrance, Hope & Support, Innocence, Multiple Hereditary Exostoses, Molestation Survivor, On-line Sexual Predator Awareness & Internet Safety, Osteoporosis, Peace, Postpartum Depression, Retinoblastoma, Right to Life, Safe Motherhood, Salvation Army, Scoliosis, Stalking, Student Sexual Abuse, Teen Pregnancy Prevention & Victims of Terrorism
• Gold Ribbon: Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, Childhood Cancer, COPD, Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma, Neuroblastoma and Osteosarcoma (alternate yellow)
• Black Ribbon: Accidents, Amish Support, Anti-Terrorism, Gang Prevention, Gun Control, Melanoma (alt orange), Mourning, Narcolepsy, POW/MIA (alt yellow), Primary Biliary Cirrhosis, Sleep Apnea, Sleep Disorders, Students for Gun Control and Trauma
• Brown Ribbon: Anti-Tobacco, Colon Cancer (alt blue), Colorectal Cancer (alt blue), Familia Polyposis (alt blue) & Tobacco Awareness
• Burgundy Ribbon: Adhesions, Adults with Disabilities, Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome, AV Malformation, Brain Aneurysm, Cesarean Section, Cystic Hygroma, Disabled Adults, Factor V Leiden, Headaches, Hemangioma and Vascular Malformation, Hereditary Hemochromatosis, Hospice Care, Hughes Syndrome, Lymphatic Malformation, Meningitis, Meningococcal Meningitis, Migraine (Alt Purple)Multiple Myeloma, PHACES, Post-Polio Syndrome, Sickle Cell Anemia, Sturge-Weber Syndrome, Thrombophilia, & Williams Syndrome.
• Purple Ribbon: ADD, ADHD, Alzheimer’s, Animal Abuse, Anit-Violence, Arnold Chiari Malformation (alt teal), Chronic Pain, Colitis (alt blue), Crohn’s Disease (alt blue), Cystic Fibrosis, Domestic Violence (Alt Teal & Purple), Epilepsy (alt Lavender), Fibromyalgia (alt Cranberry), Fibromyalgia in Men, GI Cancer (Intestinal), Harmony, Homelessness, Leimyosarcoma, Lupus (alt orange), Macular Degeneration, Mesh Survivor, Migraines (1st choice – alt Burgundy), Mucolididoses, Neuropathy Awareness, No Unattended kids in Cars, Pancreatic Cancer, Pancreatitis (Chronic), Religious Tolerance, Rett Syndrome, Sarcoidosis, Sjorgren’s Syndrome, Thymona Cancer, Thyroid Cancer (alt specific ribbon) and Victims of 9/11.
• Lavender Ribbon: Cancer (unspecified), Caregiver Appreciation, Epilepsy (alt purple), Foster Care, Gynecological Cancer, Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis, Infantile Spasms & Rett Syndrome
• Pearl Ribbon: Emphysema, Lung Cancer, Lung Disease, Mesothelioma, Multiple Sclerosis & Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia
• Silver Ribbon: Brain Disabilities, Brain Disorders, Campaign for the Brain, Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT), Disabled Children, Dyslexia, Elderly Abuse, Encephalitis, Niemann-Pick, Parkinson’s Disease, Schizophrenia, Sciatic Pain, VACTERL & Young Onset Parkinson’s Association (YOPA)
• Blue Ribbon: Alopecia, Anal Cancer (Alt), Ankylosing Spondylitis, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), Anti-Bullying, Apraxia, Arthritis, Brachial Plexus Injuries, Child Abuse, Children’s Healthy Weight, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Colitis (alt purple), Colon Cancer (alt brown), Colorectal Cancer (alt brown), Crime Victim’s Rights, Crohn’s Disease (alt purple), Cru du Chat Syndrome, Drowning Awareness, Dysautonomia, Dystonia, Drunk Driving, Education, Epstein-Barr Virus, Erb’s Palsy, Familial Polyposis (alt brown), Free Speech, Foster Care Awareness, Guillain Barre Syndrome, Hydrocephalus (US), Huntington’s Disease, Hurricanes, Hystiocytosis, Ichthyosis, Interstitial Cystitis, Juvenile Dermatomyositis, Juvenile Arthritis, Krabbes Disease, Langerhans Cell Hystiocytosis, Leukodystrophies, ME/ CFIDS, Myositis, Police Lost in Line of Duty, Prevent School Violence, Osteogenesis Imperfecta (IO), Pompe Disease (also denim blue), Restless Legs Syndrome, Steven Johnson Syndrome, Teens against Smoking, Transverse Myelitis, Usher’s Syndrome, Victim’s Rights, Victims of Hurricane Katrina, Save the Music, Water accidents, Water Quality, Water Safety and West Nile Virus.
• Navy Blue Ribbon: Alopecia, ARDS, Arthritis, Child Abuse, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Colitis, Colon Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Crime Victim’s Rights, Crohn’s Disease, Drowning, Education, Epstein-Barr Virus, Erb’s Palsy, Free Speech, Guillain Barre Syndrome, Huntington’s Disease, Hurricane Katrina, Death of Police Officer on Duty, Mastocytosis, Rectal Cancer, Restless Legs Syndrome, Teens against smoking, Victim’s Rights, Water accidents, Water Quality & Water Safety.
• Light Blue Ribbon: Addisons Disease, Behcets Disease, Chronic Illness, Cushing Syndrome, DiGeorge Sequence, Graves Disease. Hyperaldosteronism, Hydrocephalus, Klinefelter’s Syndrome, Lymphedema, Men’s Health, Pro Choice, Prostate Cancer, Scleroderma, Shprintzen Syndrome, Spay or Neuter Pets, Thyroid Disease, Trisomy 18 and Velo-Cardio Facial Syndrome
• Yellow Ribbon: Adenosarcoma, Adoptive Parents, Amber Alert, Bladder Cancer, Canadian Cancer Society, Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, Complementary / Alternative Medicine, Endometriosis, Equality, Ewings Sarcoma, Gulf War, Hydrocephalus (Int’l), Liver Cancer, Liver Disease, Missing Children (alt green), Myxoid Liposarcoma, Osteosarcoma (Alt Gold), Obesity, POW/MIA (alt black), Remembrance, Sarcoma, Spina Bifida, Suicide Awareness & Troop or Military Support
• Cream Ribbon: (DDD) Degenerative Disc Disease, Paralysis, Spinal Cord Injuries, Spinal Disorders and Spinal Muscular Atrophy
• Light Green Ribbon: Celiac Disease, Chronic pelvic Pain, Human Papilloma Virus and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD)
• Black & White Ribbon: Anti-Racism, Carcinoid Cancer, Diversity, Gifted Education, Transitions and Vaccine Awareness.
• Orchid & Orange Ribbon: Eczema & Psoriasis.
• Blue & Yellow Ribbon: Designated Drivers, Down Syndrome and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.
• Blue & Purple Ribbon: Pediatric Stroke & Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Blue & Red Ribbon: Congenital Heart Defects and Disease (alternate red), Hypo plastic left heart Syndrome, Olser Weber Rendu Syndrome (HHT), Noonan’s Syndrome, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Rare Lung Diseases and SADS.
• Red & White Ribbon: Aplastic Anemia, DVT, Head and Neck Cancer, Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia, Oral Cancer and Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
• Teal & Purple Ribbon: Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.
• Purple & Yellow Ribbon: Autoimmune Hepatitis, Chemical Injury and the relationship between Lupus and Endometriosis.
• Red & Yellow Ribbon: Hepatitis C, HIV/HCV Co-Infection and Surviving family members of Suicide victims.
• Teal & White Ribbon: Cervical Cancer
• Rainbow Ribbon: Adrenocortical carcinoma, Gay Pride, Same Sex Marriage.
• Black & Pink Ribbon: Loss of a Sister, Loss of a female child, mourning a sister, mourning a daughter.
• Black & Blue Ribbon: Loss of a Brother, Loss of a male child, mourning a brother, mourning a son.
• Periwinkle Ribbon: Acid Reflux, Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Eating Disorders, Eosinophilic Disorders, Esophageal Cancer, Gastric Cancer, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease(GERD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS), Pulmonary Hypertension, Small Intestine Cancer & Stomach Cancer
• Lou Gehrig Ribbon – White with Navy Pin Stripe – Specifically done for Lou Gehrig Disease.
• Juvenile Diabetes Ribbon – Grey ribbon with Red heart
• Thyroid Cancer Ribbon – Pink, Purple & Teal
• Black & Red Ribbon – Murder Victim’s, Murdered Children, Loss of a Fire fighter on Duty
• Latex Allergy Ribbon – Red & Pearl – Specifically made for this cause
• Gold & Silver – Hearing Disorders, Hearing Impairments, Meniere’s Disease and Tinnitus.
• Burgundy & Ivory – Oral head and Neck cancers, Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Throat Cancer, Laryngeal Cancer and Pharyngeal Cancer.
• Orchid – Testicular Cancer
• Orange & White – Bicycle Safety & Bike Helmet Safety
• Turquoise – Addiction Recovery, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) (alt Pink & Blue), Interstitial Cystitis (alt Blue), Native American Reparation and Renal Cell Carcinoma (Alt Green).
• Mint Green – Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease, Congenital hepatic Fibrosis, Genetic Disorders and Ivemark Syndrome.
• Periwinkle & White – Esphogeal Atresia/Treacheoesphogeal Fistula 9EA/TEF
• Amber – Appendix Cancer
• Marigold, Blue & Purple – Bladder Cancer
• Zebra Stripe: Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Endrocrine Cancer and Rare Diseases
• Blue & Green: Anal Cancer, Psuedo Tumor Cerebri aka intracranial hypertension
• Purple & Green: Sticklers Syndrome

While this list is not totally complete, it covers the vast majority of known colors.