EWU now has a student-run college apparel brand, Love Your Melon, with the mission to give a hat to every child battling cancer in America.

EWU junior Kaitlin Dessin first thought to bring the organization to EWU when she saw a post on Instagram about the cause. “A girl I went to high school with, who is an ambassador of Love Your Melon, had it on her Instagram, so I went and filled out an application and got it started here,” Dessin said.

Love Your Melon is a buy one, give one program. When a hat is purchased through loveyourmelon.com, the buyer receives a hat and a hat is also given to a child battling cancer. The hats are donated at hospitals nationally by college ambassadors dressed as superheroes.

Dessin first reached out to members of the Greek community along with friends and family, and also made announcements in her classes.

The Love Your Melon campus crew can have up to 20 members, and is at full capacity right now with a waiting list. Those on the list are welcome to help out with events if needed.

“These first couple of months have been about getting the grasp of things,” said Dessin. “[We are] getting the foundation of what we are doing.”
The campus crew members reach out to children in the community as well.

“There is so much we get the opportunity of doing as a crew member,” said Tessa McIntyre, EWU freshman and Love Your Melon crew member. “[We get the opportunity] of dressing up like superheroes and going into the local children’s hospitals and handing out the beanies to the children ourselves.”

In the spring, the group plans on taking a Betz Elementary student who is battling cancer out on a fun day.

“It is more about those people reaching out and being your support system for those children,” said Dessin. “[The children] always have that immediate support, but it is a great feeling to know you have other people reaching out.”

The group also plans on putting together a concert fundraiser in Cheney during spring. Besides the music, this event will have food and swing dance lessons. All the money raised will go to associated organizations: CureSearch Foundation and The Pinky Swear Foundation.

CureSearch is an organization that provides funding to find a cure for cancer, according to curesearch.org. The Pinky Swear Foundation supports and donates funds to the families of cancer patients, according to pinkyswear.org.

“I’ve volunteered, … but I’ve never been able to be this involved in planning events, raising money and being so hands-on with an organization,” said Mattie Kelton, EWU senior and vice president of Love Your Melon. “[Love Your Melon] not only gives a hat to every child battling cancer, but it also gives 50 percent of the proceeds to CureSearch and The Pinky Swear Foundation.”

Love Your Melon has reserved more than 45,000 hats to donate to children battling cancer in the United States, which is equal to the number of children currently undergoing cancer treatment in the country, according to loveyourmelon.com.

To join the Love Your Melon crew, students can email Dessin at [email protected] and express their interest.