[media-credit name=”Erin Kane” align=”alignnone” width=”500″][/media-credit]

In 2012, the mission of Love Your Melon founders, Zach Quinn and Brian Keller, may have seemed like nothing more than another good idea. But after years of hard work, dedication and a whole lot of knitting and sewing, the dream to put a hat on the head of every child battling cancer is becoming a reality. With its “buy one, give one” distribution system, Love Your Melon has set aside enough merchandise to cover the heads of more than 45,000 ill children.

While this project is likely to hit home with many people affected by cancer in one way or another, the Love Your Melon pioneers had no intention of keeping their business close to home. With over 22,800 followers on their general Instagram account (@loveyourmelon) and over 500 followers on their Quinnipiac Love Your Melon Crew account (@quinnipiaclymcrew), the company shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

Love Your Melon is primarily known for its comfortable and fashionable beanies, but sells a variety of other items as well. As can be seen on the Love Your Melon social media accounts, the company produces many clothing items, including baseball caps, seersucker hats, t-shirts and tank tops. Love Your Melon also sells coasters, notebooks, stickers, bags and sunglasses. Each product is embellished with the Love Your Melon name and, as a result, the message it represents.

Christy Dzubay, a sophomore English major and representative for the Quinnipiac Love Your Melon Crew, is an active participant in the action of this charitable organization. After hearing about Love Your Melon from a friend, she sought out a way to become involved and help accomplish the organization’s mission. Dzubay notes that the Quinnipiac Crew has recently reached their latest goal of selling 100 beanies, enabling the Crew to visit a local children’s hospital dressed in superhero garb to deliver the hats to the sick children.

Dzubay has recently ordered her first Love Your Melon beanie, as well as several for her family members. Dzubay hopes to one day become an elementary school teacher, further driving her passion for this organization directly benefitting children.

“I’ve worked with kids who have gone through a lot of different physical and mental illnesses and things because I volunteer in schools,” she said. “To think of kids going through [cancer], to me it’s like anything I can do kind of to help that.”

While it is likely that the majority of people have been touched by cancer in some way, there seems to be a certain compassion that demands to be felt for a child facing a terminal illness.

“Just the fact that it’s children going through cancer,” Dzubay said. “We get to dress up as superheroes like it’s really fun for the kids. There’s some sort of hope in these people that they don’t even know are coming in to support them.”

Senior accounting major Devin Kelly expressed her appreciation for the meaning behind Love Your Melon.

“I think the organization can mean something to everyone because it’s a cause that every person can get involved in and join the fight against cancer,” Kelly said.

Freshman psychology major Ellen Vyce also praised the organization.

“It raises cancer awareness in a stylish way while also providing a gift to a child who is suffering from cancer,” Vyce said. “It’s satisfying to see an organization grow so quickly especially one with such a meaningful cause.”

Love Your Melon’s success reaches far beyond Hamden. Many dedicated Crew members, including Brianna Layton, the Quinnipiac Crew Captain, have brought the Love Your Melon name overseas. Crew members have shared photos from places including Spain, South Africa and the Dominican Republic with the intention of spreading the word and expanding the members of the Love Your Melon team. Layton is currently abroad in Italy proudly wearing her favorite Love Your Melon products and representing her Crew back home.

If you would like to purchase a hat or other Love Your Melon item, be sure to select the Quinnipiac Crew at checkout to help representatives like Dzubay reach their next goal and make a “super” delivery to an unexpecting child. To learn more about Love Your Melon or to become an active member of the Quinnipiac Love Your Melon Crew, contact a crew member by messaging @quinnipiaclymcrew on Instagram.