by Mwaniki Muturi
Since its beginning in 2012, Love Your Melon, an apparel brand dedicated to helping children battling cancer, has worked to establish networks in colleges and universities all over the country. Today, more than 225 schools have joined Love Your Melon in the fight against cancer, with more than 2,500 students throughout the country joining the organization as Love Your Melon Ambassadors. When she found out about Love Your Melon’s mission, sophomore Emily Simpson decided it was time Assumption College join in the fight against cancer.
From the moment she started her career at Assumption College, Emily Simpson always knew that she wanted to help children. “Coming into Assumption last year as a freshman, I was a biology major and had every intention of becoming a pediatric doctor. Later into my freshman year, however, I learned that I had a few medical issues that did not allow me to continue my education in Pre-Med,” Simpson explains. Although Simpson was faced with a tough situation, she did not let the odds prevent her from accomplishing her goal. “I found out about Love Your Melon online. I was on Twitter one day and saw a tweet about LYM and their mission, and I instantly fell in love with it. I’ve always wanted to work with children and I felt that this was the perfect way to do so!” After finding out about Love Your Melon, Emily decided to get involved by forming a Love Your Melon Crew here at Assumption. Together the Assumption College Love Your Melon Crew has helped raise awareness of Love Your Melon’s mission as well as raise funds for both the Pinky Swear Foundation and Cure Search, two organizations that fund pediatric cancer research.
As the president of ACLYMC, Emily has organized fundraisers on campus as well as visits to local hospitals, where her and the crew spend time with children battling cancer. “What has impacted me the most is our donation events,” Simpson says. “It is so amazing to see the kid’s faces light up when we walk into hospitals dressed as superheroes. It is very rewarding knowing that you’re the reason for their smile!”
This year, Emily and the rest of the ACLYMC have been working rigorously to spread awareness about pediatric cancer throughout campus. When it comes to the success that Love Your Melon is experiencing at Assumption, Simpson thanks her devoted crew for helping her make it all possible. “LYM has introduced me to some amazing people at Assumption College. 20 determined people can change the world and I honestly feel like I have all 20 of those people on this journey with me. Together we have raised about $11,000 for pediatric cancer research funds. I still can’t believe it! I love knowing that we are truly making a difference.” Though the challenge of starting a movement is never easy, Emily says she will always be thankful for everything that she has been able to do for Love Your Melon. “LYM has been my way of giving back to the kids that I hoped to work with one day. This organization means so much more to me now than I ever could have imagined. It is a lot of work, but the smiles that we get to see on the kid’s faces when we bring them their hats is absolutely life changing and heart warming. They make it all worth it!”
To stay updated on the ACLYMC, make sure to follow them on Twitter and Facebook, and visit LoveYourMelon.com to find out how you can help in the fight against cancer!
THE AC301 