Students swarming around a tiny table outside of Mauker Union were greeted by a group of beanie-                       wearing, Love Your Melon members on Thursday.

In celebration of Love Your Melon Day, the UNI Campus Crew livened up the Mauker Union Courtyard with music during their sales event.

Last Thursday marked the third anniversary of the creation of Love Your Melon. Each purchase of LYM merchandise provides a hat to children battling cancer, while also helping to fund cancer research and cover the costs of cancer patients.

“It’s just more about helping out the kids and trying to make sure the whole college is aware of everything going on,” said, Madi Bellile, junior leisure, youth and human services major and Love Your Melon crew member on what LYM Day means to her.

Along with the sales event on Thursday, five additional members of the UNI campus crew visited Blank Children’s Hospital for their Superhero Donation Event, where 50 hats were given to children with lifelong illnesses, according                                                   to Melissa Miller, senior marketing major and president of the Love Your Melon UNI Campus Crew.

The five campus crew executives who visited Blank dressed up as superheroes and gave out white capes for children to decorate.

The Iowa State University LYM Campus Crew visited Mercy Hospital on Thursday, while the University of Iowa Campus Crew went to the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, Miller said.

Over 5,000 hats were donated on Thursday from Campus Crews across the nation, said Miller.

According to the LYM website, approximately 225 educational institutions currently have campus crew programs.

Bellile said that the UNI Campus Crew concluded Love Your Melon Day with a household hat donation to a family whose daughter had to undergo cancer treatment in the past. This family was found through UNI Dance Marathon.

“We’re going to try to see what they’re going through, get their perspective on everything so that we kind of have more of an understanding,” said Bellile.

Overall, approximately 200 events took place during LYM Day across the United States. These events included hospital and Ronald McDonald House visits, as well as household donations, said Miller.

According to Bellile, the UNI Love Your Melon campus crew rarely sells their merchandise at events but continually promotes the purchase of their apparel. They urge those who were unable to attend their sales event to visit the LYM website and select the UNI Campus Crew before making their purchases.