Over at BoingBoing, Xeni Jardin has been blogging her fight against breast cancer. She finished her treatment a couple of months ago, and a friend presented her with a great “Kicking Cancer’s Ass” medal. He made it simply by finding an appropriate award medal (in this case, “Science”) at a site that specializes in trophies and awards; the message and her name was part of the standard customization.

This is a gift I’d never thought of before, and I love the idea. It turns out that there are a lot of Halloween-themed medals, trophies, plaques, ribbons, and other awards, primarily meant to be used as prizes for costume contests or parties. Crown Awards, Trophy Depot, and Dinn Bros. all have nice selections, and searching “Halloween award” will turn up plenty of other vendors. (Most cities also have a trophy shop or two, in case you’d rather go the low-tech route.) Most of the awards are surprisingly inexpensive, as well.

These would make a lovely and unique gift to help someone celebrate a special achievement. (It doesn’t have to be as dramatic as beating cancer; even “Congratulations for not strangling your boss!” would be just fine.) It’s a great way to make someone feel extra-special; who doesn’t like getting a medal?