In the winter of 2017, Erin Carey, then a sophomore at Plattsburgh State, knew she wanted to make a difference on campus. Today, with the help of others, she has turned that initial goal into the PSU Love Your Melon Campus Crew.
Carey said their mission is to spread awareness of pediatric cancer on campus. She was an active supporter of Love Your Melon before forming the crew here.
Love Your Melon, Inc. is a for-profit apparel brand dedicated to raising awareness for pediatric cancer and delivering one of their signature beanies to every child fighting the battle. Beanies are not the only items you can purchase through Love Your Melon, the brand also offers scarves, socks, t-shirts, home goods and more. But they are the items that Zachary Quinn and Brian Keller, co-founders and friends, wish to see atop the heads of patients across America.
Colleges across the country are working through Love Your Melon’s campus crew program to help promote the brand’s mission. Over 800 educational institutions are involved, and PSU is now one of them.
The PSU crew had its first meeting of the semester Monday, and they will continue to meet biweekly on Mondays at 8 p.m. Carey, the president and now a senior, says their meetings consist of planning for future events, participating in crew challenges, making cards to send to patients and much more. And there is certainly much to plan for during these meetings, as the crew has a promising spring ahead of them.
This semester they are doing Kiss Cancer Away Carey said. This is an event at which people write what cancer means to them or the name of a loved one fighting cancer, on a paper heart. This will be the first of many tabling events for the crew, and it will take place in the Angell College Center.
The crew will also be holding a photo shoot and attending PSU’s Relay for Life, both in April. In the past, they have also attended PSU’s No More Cancer Rally, worked with Partners in Transition on campus and cooked meals for patients and their families at the Ronald McDonald House in Burlington. And, of course, they are always sending cards to patients as often as possible.
“Making cards and sending them to children with cancer may seem small in the big scheme of things,” says Audrey McNamara, the treasurer and a senior. “But it can still bring them a smile during the tough times.”
Carey, McNamara, Nicole Palmieri and Kayla Stierle make up the executive board. Together, they work to improve the crew every semester and have an impact on the campus. They hope to have a positive impact on peoples’ lives and encourage students to join the fight.
The PSU Love Your Melon Campus Crew continues to grow in size and strength. However, as much as the crew has evolved, its mission has always stayed the same.
“I think when people see what small gestures can do, kindness will blossom around the campus and in the community,” McNamara said.The PSU Love Your Melon Campus Crew continues to grow in size and strength. However, as much as the crew has evolved, its mission has always stayed the same.
So, if you want to be a part of the Love Your Melon mission, put on a beanie and a smile and join the fight.
