Love Your Melon sells hats to support children battling cancer

 

Love Your Melon, an organization dedicated to giving a hat to every child in America battling cancer, has found its way to South Dakota State University.

Amanda Neubauer, psychology and sociology double major and club president, said the SDSU Love Your Melon campus crew was started last year after learning about Love Your Melon’s mission.

“We wanted to be part of a great cause,” Neubauer said. “Love Your Melon can’t wait to see the day when childhood cancer is cured.”

Love Your Melon was founded in 2012 by two friends, Zach Quinn and Brian Keller, at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. according to the organization’s website.

Ever since, Love Your Melon has worked to establish a network of college students called Love Your Melon Ambassadors, who are responsible for spreading the mission of the organization in their own city. Over 450 schools in the nation and more than 7,000 college students are currently working with the organization to sell and donate hats.

Love Your Melon will donate 50 percent of proceeds on every product sold to the Pinky Swear Foundation and CureSearch, working directly with both organizations in the fight against cancer.

For every Love Your Melon hat bought, another is donated to a child battling cancer. According to the company’s website, these hats are donated in person by participating ambassadors across the country dressed as superheroes. 

Although the SDSU club was founded a year ago, the group has 20 active members and are planning events for this spring.

“Our crew is hoping to hold several events this year, and our goal is to be able to do a hospital visit where we go dressed up as superheroes and give hats away to children undergoing treatment while also doing some activities with them,” Neubauer said.

Club members are hoping to host an on-campus sales event as well as a card or blanket-making night where those in attendance would make cards or blankets to donate to nearby hospitals.

Neubauer encouraged students to get involved with the SDSU Love Your Melon campus crew  to meet new students and participate in volunteer activities.

“A student who is involved with this group may have the opportunity to take part in many different events, such as hospital or Ronald McDonald house donation events,” Neubauer said. “We also take part in different challenges with other campus crews for the organization. It is a great way to get to know students on our campus as well as students across the country.”