A group of Kettering University students are working to make a big impact -- one beanie at a time.

The students have worked together to form a Kettering chapter of Love Your Melon, which sells beanie hats for $30. For every beanie sold, one is given to a child with cancer. And to make it even more special, the students get to dress like superheroes and hand deliver the beanies to the children.

“Our goal is to try and raise these kids’ spirits and provide a therapeutic experience for them and their families during such a difficult time. To receive support from everyone at Kettering would be a dream come true,” said Maddie Geffert ‘19, public relations manager for the Kettering Love Your Melon Crew. “For only $30 you could be making a bigger impact than you can imagine.”

Love Your Melon is an apparel brand whose goal is to give a hat to every child battling cancer in America. The organization funds childhood cancer research initiatives and provides immediate support for children and their families.

Twenty-five percent of net proceeds from every Love Your Melon product sold goes to CureSearch for Children’s Cancer to fund research initiatives on track to beat childhood cancer completely. Another 25 percent of net proceeds from every Love Your Melon product sold goes to the Pinky Swear Foundation to provide immediate support to children battling cancer and their families.

Rania Fanous ‘20, captain of the Kettering Love Your Melon Crew, reached out to the organization to start at Kettering crew because cancer runs in her family and she’s seen what it’s like for a child to battle it.

“This really hits close to home for me. And where Kettering is located, we are right between McLaren (Hospital) and Hurley Medical Center with Hurley Children’s Miracle Network, I thought this was perfect,” Fanous said. “It just makes me very happy that I get to see a kid smile by something I’m doing. It’s something so little we can do.”

Hats can be purchased online. When making the purchase, scroll down to select a crew and choose Kettering University.

Geffert and Fanous would love to see every Kettering student and staff member wearing a Love Your Melon hat as a way to show the Flint community joining together for something positive.

“By doing so they will be joining an inclusive community of individuals dedicated to improving the lives of children with cancer, and I could think of no better reason for everyone to come together,” Geffert said. “I am very passionate about this organization, especially because my lifelong family friend Noah has been battling Neuroblastoma for most of his life and I would love to make him proud, as well as get the opportunity to contribute financially to families like his.”

The Kettering Love Your Melon Crew can be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For more information about the group, email Fanous at fano6516@kettering.edu.