While at home over winter break, junior Erin Thompson was scrolling through her social media pages and kept noticing posts from her high school friends about something called “Love Your Melon.”

The posts sparked her interest, and Thompson decided to look into the organization online. She immediately fell in love with the apparel brand Love Your Melon and realized that she wanted to bring the organization to Baker.

After a little bit more research, Thompson submitted her application to start a Baker Love Your Melon campus crew, and she was accepted during the beginning of the spring semester.

“I decided that I should bring this to Baker because this campus is so supportive of one another,” Thompson said. “Anything that anyone is starting … everyone is so supportive and would do anything they can to help.”

That’s how the Baker Love Your Melon crew began. Love Your Melon is an organization made up of college students with campus crews around the country promoting merchandise, which can be ordered online at  loveyourmelon.com. The most popular and well-known products are beanies, but Love Your Melon also sell mugs, shirts and other items.

The mission is to donate a hat to every child battling cancer in America.

“For every hat that is sold, another hat goes to a child with cancer,” Thompson said.

All of the hats, which sport the Love Your Melon patch on the front, are made in the United States and help benefit childhood cancer in multiple ways.

“Twenty-five percent of the proceeds from your order go toward helping pay for the bills that these children have from their hospital bills and everything that they have to pay for for their treatments,” Thompson said. “Another 25 percent goes toward finding a cure, so 50 percent of your order is going directly back to these kids, which is really cool.”

The Baker Love Your Melon crew consists of 11 members who all help promote the organization on campus. Thompson is the crew captain and junior Ali Gascoigne is the vice crew captain.

“My goal is to touch as many lives as possible with Love Your Melon,” Gascoigne said.

Gascoigne is excited to raise awareness for childhood cancer, and she encourages the Baker community to help support the cause.

“Wearing the Love Your Melon patch on your hat is so empowering to know that you made a difference,” Gascoigne said.

Baker’s campus crew hopes to sell enough hats to visit a hospital soon and deliver hats to children with cancer.

“Actually seeing the kids wearing the hats and knowing what we do, it has a real purpose,” sophomore crew member Caitlin Apollo said.

The more merchandise the campus crew sells, the more credits they receive, which earns the crew additional benefits from the company, such as the hospital visits.

“One hat can make a child smile, so why not buy one,” Gascoigne said.

To support Love Your Melon and the Baker campus crew, order items on loveyourmelon.com and select “Baker University campus crew” at the checkout.

Those who are interested can stay up to date with the Baker campus crew by following them on Twitter or Instagram: @BakerLYMcrew or like their page on Facebook: Baker University Love Your Melon Campus Crew.