Single? Wear a Bracelet.

By Sarah Menesale

Ever spot an attractive man while waiting in line for your morning coffee? Or a cute woman while pushing a cart of groceries down the isle at the store…and catching yourself wondering if the person was single?
If two local men have their way the answer to that question will no longer be a guess. Instead, people will be wearing green bracelets declaring their single status.
The Icebreaker bracelet is the brainchild of Westborough resident Peter Wright and Matthew Gogan of Franklin. The green bracelet takes the guess work out of people’s availability status by spouting the word “Icebreaker” on people’s wrists.
It looks similar to the ones in stores for common causes and sports teams like the yellow Lance Armstrong “LiveStrong” bracelet. But this bracelet aims to give singles a simple, fast way to recognize and meet other singles.
The creators, Gogan and Wright, are divorced dads who work for the town of Hopkinton’s Department of Public Works.
One day while leaving a home inspection last summer, the duo began wondering if the woman they had just visited was single. Both were left with the impression she was recently divorced, but were unsure. Gogan said, “It’s too bad they didn’t make something so you could tell,” because the woman wasn’t wearing a ring.
That led to a discussion about different options people could wear to distinguish themselves. After eliminating the hat and bandanna ideas, the pair zeroed in on bracelets.
They started pursuing the business concept and created The Whyknot Company.
As a single dad who has been married twice, 51-year-old Wright finds the dating scene challenging. He has a profile on three different dating Web sites, he’s tried expensive dating services, and he’s attended singles events. All with little success.
“With the sites it’s safe. People are sitting on the computer and look at it like they’re searching for the perfect person. This way (with the bracelets) you can be out doing anything, at the mall, grocery shopping, and if you meet someone….It gets frustrating and depressing spending the money each month on these dating Web sites. For only $5.95 we have a way for people to meet other people,” said Wright.

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