As the weather dips below freezing, hats become an essential part of protecting yourself from the elements. But one student is working to protect people’s heads in a charitable style.

Michelle Sagan, a junior public relations and political science dual major, works as the Syracuse University campus ambassador for Love Your Melon, a nonprofit organization that donates hats to children with cancer. For every Love Your Melon beanie or baseball cap sold, a hat is donated to a child battling cancer.

Sagan helps run a student group called the Syracuse University Love Your Melon Campus Crew. She and her crew are striving to sell 100 hats, and as a result of their efforts, Love Your Melon will send them 100 hats to donate to children with cancer in the Syracuse area.

Sagan said she wants to go to the Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital with Otto the Orange to donate the hats.

“Some people don’t understand what’s outside of the university bubble, so going there will be cool to have other people at the university experience what I did this summer,” Sagan said.

She hopes to organize a promotional event in February, which she believes will be a success because of the cold weather.

Over the summer, Sagan worked as the public relations intern and traveled across the west coast with students from different colleges. They dressed up as superheroes and surprised children in hospitals with hats.

The hardest part for Sagan was seeing the families of the cancer patients.

“The parents are dedicating their lives to their child. They are losing other time in their lives and taking time away from their other children and focusing all on one child,” Sagan said.

The children’s positivity was incredible, however. While playing games with a family, someone hit the boy fighting cancer in the face with a ball. Quickly, the little boy responded, “Hey, you can’t hit me. I have cancer.”

Said Sagan: “Everyone started cracking up. He’s going through such a difficult time but he still finds the good in things.”

Published on January 14, 2015 at 12:01 am

Contact: maquigle@syr.edu