Beanies have become popular all over campus, but many are not aware that most people who wear beanies have also purchased one for a child with cancer. Love Your Melon (LYM) is an apparel brand that gives back.
Love Your Melon was started by two college students from Minnesota in 2012, and is now run by college students all over the U.S.
Love Your Melon’s mission is to put a hat on the head of every child battling cancer. For every hat purchased, a hat is delivered to a child. LYM also partners with Pinky Swear, a group dedicated to helping cancer patients with medical bills and CureSearch, an organization centered on research for a cure. 50 percent of proceeds from the hats go to one of these organizations.
In 2014, LYM went on two nationwide tours to spread awareness and have since started a network of students called Love Your Melon Ambassadors to get the word out on their campuses.
Drew Lantonio, sophomore communication major, is the reason MSU has a LYM crew. He learned about the company while he was in high school and said when his mother told him about LYM’s cause, he fell in love with their story and did everything he could to get the word out at his school.
“I wanted to start a LYM campus crew here because I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives,” Lantonio said. “I’ve always been passionate about volunteer work so when I found out they offered ambassador positions for universities, I knew I had to be involved.”
LYM has been trying a couple different ways to sell the hats. Right now, the demand is greater than the supply. They have been doing releases every Monday at 6 p.m. and the beanies are selling very quickly. Buyers have to be quick and ready right at 6 p.m. to get a hat. LYM just implemented a pre-order system where students can register and be guaranteed a hat. They also have the option to send a hat directly to a child if students know someone personally with cancer.
Mattingly Dramer, an international business major at Mississippi State, is one of the Love Your Melon ambassadors. Dramer has been part of the crew for a couple weeks now, and said they are brand new here at MSU and are currently awaiting certification to become an official club.
“What’s cool about being a campus ambassador is that we get the opportunity to personally deliver these hats,” Dramer said. “That’s the whole purpose of having campus ambassadors and why we’re so adamant about people buying them because with each purchase of a hat from Mississippi State, we get to go to the hospital and hand one to a child.”
Lantonio said the delivery process is also his favorite part and LYM adds a touch of magic to it by sending costumes to the ambassadors. They call themselves campus crew superheroes.
“If we find a child battling cancer,” Lantonio said, “LYM will send me super hero costumes to visit them in and that’s the most amazing part for me, seeing the child’s face light up seeing a superhero walk in to hangout with them.”
The beanies come in multiple colors and can be ordered online at LoveYourMelon.com. For more information about when to order and updates from the MSU crew, follow their instagram: @loveyourmelonmsu.
