President Julie Sullivan has declared Tuesday, Oct. 22, Love Your Melon Day at the University of St. Thomas, joining Mayor R.T. Rybak and Mayor Chris Coleman who made similar declarations on behalf of the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Love Your Melon began as a simple hat-selling company operating on a buy-one-give-one model. For every hat that is sold, one is given to a child in a hospital going through cancer treatment. Founders and UST juniors Zachary Quinn and Brian Keller started their business as a class project for Entrepreneurship 200.
Since launching on Oct. 22, 2012, Love Your Melon has given away 2,250 hats and expanded into providing other services. The organization's nonprofit initiatives include Cloud Rides, a program that raises funds to enable Love Your Melon recipients to take helicopter and airplane rides, and The Ellen Project, which brings art and music programs to hospitals through a partnership with the nonprofit Keys 4/4 Kids.
"We are amazed at the amount of support that we have received on our mission to improve the quality of life for children battling cancer," Quinn said.
Quinn and Keller will bring a bus on campus between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, on John P. Monahan Plaza where they will shave their heads in a show of support for children battling cancer. Those who join them in shaving their heads will receive a free Love Your Melon hat. Sign up for a head-shaving slot by emailing volunteer@loveyourmelon.com or simply show up at the bus.
