The Fight Against Childhood Cancer
The University of Sioux Falls is now one of the 840 college and university campuses nationwide that have a Love Your Melon Crew. Love Your Melon is an apparel brand dedicated to giving a hat to every child battling cancer in America. In October 2019, USF freshman Autumn Gray started the Love Your Melon Campus Crew. There are almost 14,000 students belonging to Crew Campus organizations in the United States and they help Love Your Melon promote the mission. Gray says, “I personally know the tremendous impact hospital stays can have on families because of my past experiences. So, I wanted to be able to provide the same love, support, and kindness to children in Sioux Falls as a Love Your Melon Campus Crew previously extended to my family.” In order to qualify and become an official campus crew, the Crew Captain must go through an application process and be approved by the company.
Love Your Melon was founded in an entrepreneur class at the University of St. Thomas, Minnesota by two students, Zach Quinn and Brian Keller. To date, they have given over 6.2 million dollars to the fight against pediatric cancer and over 190,000 hats to children battling cancer.
The Love Your Melon Campus Crews not only want to influence cancer patients but the greater community around them. Gracie Chance, a freshman member of Love Your Melon at USF said, “Being a part of Love Your Melon allows me to feel like something bigger and I am impacting the world in a positive and influential way.” The USF Campus Crew is involved in the Sioux Falls community through events such as “Create a Smile”, “Alex’s Lemonade Stand”, and Swab Drives for blood cancer patients. The Vice Crew Captain, Brittany Rogotzke said, “Love Your Melon is a way for me to share the love of God and help to fulfill my purpose in this world.”
If you would like to join the Love Your Melon Campus Crew at USF contact Autumn Gray at Autumn.Gray@usiouxfalls.edu.
