Like many other Twin Cities companies, Love Your Melon is trying to carry on as normally as possible amidst the chaos caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. And for them, that means continuing to support sick children and their families.
In order to protect the often immunosuppressed patients they work with, Love Your Melon has postponed all of its events, including hospital visits, in-person beanie donations and adventures for children battling cancer. Its 32 employees also began working from home on March 13.
CEO Zachary Quinn told Minne Inno that in the coming weeks, the company plans to roll out a new program to support children and their families that will address their needs.
"They need our support now more than ever, and we will find a way to get it to them without putting anyone at risk," Quinn told Minne Inno.
Love Your Melon hopes to find streaming services, digital entertainment, games and other activities that it can fund to help families get through the outbreak. It will also ship Love Your Melon superhero costumes and beanies directly to Children's Hospitals for nurses, doctors and child life specialists to distribute.
The company's circumstances may have changed, but its mission has not. Since it was founded, Love Your Melon has given 50% of its net profit to nonprofit organizations fighting pediatric cancer. In 2019, it gave more than $1 million to these businesses.
Love Your Melon also delivers roughly 30,000 beanies to children battling cancer in the U.S. every year. The company's Campus Crew, a group of around 10,000 college students across the country, delivers these beanies while dressed as superheroes. Because many colleges have closed and hospitals are placing tighter restrictions on hospital visits, Love Your Melon is developing a new program to hand out hats.
"This new program will be in partnership with the nonprofits we work with, corporate partners and the hospitals and facilities where these families are located," Quinn said.
Globally, Love Your Melon will continue to fund lifesaving cancer drugs for children battling cancer that cannot afford them. Amidst the outbreak, Quinn added, more funding will be directed to this aspect of the company's business.
Sales for Love Your Melon have gone down recently, Quinn said, but the company was buoyed by its annual BOGO promotion, which took place just before COVID-19 reached Minnesota. The Love Your Melon team continues to create new products for the coming season.
"Cancer doesn't stop even as we are facing a global pandemic," Quinn said. "These kids and families need our support in the fight against cancer. It is through customers purchasing our products that we are able to provide it."
