It’s not something we like to think about, but 15,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year. And, although we’ve made great strides in the fight to prevent, treat, and fight off this terrible condition, we have still not found a viable cure.
With so many organizations and events aimed at raising money to find a cure, it might surprise you to know that one creative startup is using a familiar item to raise money for this Charity: beanie caps!
Love Your Melon is an apparel brand whose mission is to make sure every child with cancer has a beanie cap to cover their melons, and 50% of all profits are donated to nonprofit partners.
The Backstory
Zach and Brian were your two average college students in St. Paul, Minnesota. In an entrepreneurship class, the two decided they wanted to go into business together to fight for a common goal: to improve the lives of children battling cancer.
They started with the goal of donating 45,000 hats. After handily passing that mark, they set the lofty goal of donating $1,000,000 to pediatric research!
The company donates 50% of profits to nonprofit partners that work in the fields of pediatric oncology, general cancer research, and direct support for children and families suffering from the disease.
How the Beanies Are Made
The company found itself in an interesting scenario business-wise—they had to produce something that was both comfortable enough to be worn on a child’s bald head but appealing enough to sell. This wasn’t going to be easy!
But with some ingenuity help from manufacturers and others in the textile industry around America, they have developed a process for creating stylish, comfortable hats that sell. They must have done something right, because they’ve donated nearly $2.7 million dollars to date to cancer research and over 110,000 hats!
The company is 100% dedicated to domestic manufacturing, helping to fuel over 100 jobs across the country.
Manufacturers making the Love Your Melon brand are part of a larger textile industry creating beanie caps throughout the United States and Canada. Opek and Pom Pom machinery allow for tighter knits, helping to create hats that are comfortable for all.
Partners-Charity
Love Your Melon is partnered with some of the biggest names in the world.
Ronald McDonald House
Make a Wish
Children’s Cancer Research Fund
St. Jude
Curesearch
And many more. Visit them on the web to learn more about their story.
Beanie caps made with Opek machinery aren’t just for style or warmth, they are also helping raise money to fight childhood cancer. It’s amazing what beanie caps can do!