These days, there are so many things that need our attention that it’s hard to even keep them in order in our heads and hearts. Between raising awareness for donating blood at the Red Cross to having bake sales to raise money for the local community center, it seems like there’s never enough time to donate your thoughts or prayers to anything!
But recently on campus, a group of girls have dedicated their time to forming a new club dedicated to raising money and awareness for those battling cancer. Love Your Melon is a national apparel brand run remotely by college students out of their university campuses. Their mission: to sell a hat in order to give a hat to a child battling cancer.
What makes LYM (Love Your Melon) special? Cancer is something that touches the heart of millions every day; this is why the majority of the girls who have kick-started this RIO have gotten involved.
Senior Kiani Jackson has been involved since the beginning and has a touching, meaningful connection to the cause:
“My mother had a sister who died at a very young age from leukemia. Although I never had the chance to meet her, I always felt a connection with her. Seeing how the loss of a sister/daughter has affected my family I would never want anyone else to have to experience that,” she said. “The reason I jumped at the chance at being a part of LYM was because I loved what they stood for and believed that they would/can make a difference in these children’s lives as well as their family members lives.”
Even more so than promoting the sales of the beanies, the girls make house visits to children who are battling their cancer. They make the kids their “superheroes” for the day and spend time inspiring them!
Tess Raskowsky, sophomore, says that she loves that the crew “gets to give pediatric cancer patients the superhero experience they truly deserve!”
With everyone’s lives being a whirlwind of overstimulation 24/7, it’s hard to stop and remember anything other than our own schedules, especially in college! When you buy apparel from LYM, you’re also buying a hat for someone’s son or daughter, a niece or a nephew, a grandson or granddaughter. You’re gonna buy stuff anyway, why not get something cute from them? If money is tight (because let’s be real, it always is), remember: it costs nothing to donate and give back to someone in need.