Temple Organization Fights Childhood Cancer, One Beanie at a Time

By Milly McKinnish

Every day, more than three children under the age of 15 dies of cancer. Temple University’s Love Your Melon crew is trying to lower that number.

LYM is known for its beanies. It’s signature beanie is simple: they typically come in grey, black, burgundy or white, and are adorned with a leather patch that has the LYM logo on it. For every purchase you make, a hat is given to a child with cancer. The apparel company has a simple tagline: “buy beanies, fight cancer.” Across the United States, LYM has crews at 840 college campuses. They host promotional events, raise money, and work with local hospitals.

Temple’s LYM crew is still relatively new to campus, having only been established in September 2015. Despite this, they have still made an impact on the Philadelphia community.

One of Campus Crews' biggest endeavors is Superhero Day. In April, crew members visited hospitals and handed out beanies, while dressed as superheroes. In 2019, LYM gave away over 10,000 beanies.

“My favorite LYM memory would be seeing photos of a boy’s reaction to all the cards we sent him,” Malorie Lazer, a sophomore English major, said.

“Knowing how thankful him and his parents were just meant the world to me— that I had the smallest impact on another person's life.”

Temple LYM’s past events have ranged from hosting a benefit concert with an “America’s Got Talent” semi-finalist to arranging a meet-up between a patient and nearly every Eagles player.

LYM participated in Parkway Run & Walk with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia on Sept. 29. This semester, the organization is focusing on fundraising $5,000 for Victor, a young boy from the area, who was born with a rare brain tumor, Lazer said.

For many members of the LYM crew, their volunteer work hits close to home. In fact, Temple’s crew was founded because of a personal connection. Erin McComb, a 2018 nursing alumna, was looking for new ways to support her best friend, who at that point had been battling cancer for two years.

While scrolling through Facebook one day, McComb saw a photo of two former high school classmates wearing LYM merch and posing next to a child with cancer. She immediately researched LYM and knew she needed to start a local branch. With the help of her sorority, Alpha Xi Delta, McComb was able to find members and accomplish her goal.

“LYM has grown immensely since I started the Temple chapter. They have donated hundreds of beanies to the local children's hospitals, completed countless superhero adventures, and brought smiles to children's faces during each event,” McComb said.

Lazer recalled a story from her childhood when a friend of hers was battling cancer. In an attempt to help her friend and his family, she decided to host a lemonade stand. Ultimately, his parents refused to accept the money she had raised. Instead of keeping the profits for herself, Lazer bought toys with the lemonade money and donated them to CHOP.

“Even at a young age, I took pride in helping people and loved the rewarding feeling of giving back,” Lazer said.

Editor’s Note: Malorie Lazer, a staff writer at REFINE, was not included in reporting or editing this feature.