According to the American Childhood Cancer Organization, a child is diagnosed with cancer every three minutes, but one student hopes to change that. Sophomore Jack Halpern started making clay turtles when he was twelve years old and stuck at home during a snowstorm. Two and a half years later, Halpern has created a successful business: Healing Turtles, where he sells clay turtles and donates the money to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“I donate 50% of all proceeds to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The other 50% of the money goes to making more and more turtles!” said Halpern.

Halpern has donated around $750 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through his business and has made over 600 turtles since he founded the business. In the future he hopes to expand Healing Turtles or create a new business also focused on helping children with pediatric cancer.

The turtles fit in the palm of your hand and are colored dark green. To top it off, quite literally, they also have a yellow hat.

“I chose to give the turtle a yellow hat because pediatric cancer’s ribbon color is yellow. For holidays I will sometimes come out with a special edition healing turtle where the have a special hat. For example, for Fourth of July I made a turtle with a red, white, and blue hat,” said Halpern.

For more information on Jack Halpern and Healing Turtles, visit Healingturtles.com or visit his instagram @healingturtles

For information on how to donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, visit https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html