BIG CYPRESS — There are many ways to show love on Valentine’s Day; chocolates, jewelry or a special date night are popular choices.

But the fourth-grade students at Ahfachkee School took a different route. They showed their love for sea turtles by holding a bake sale Feb. 14 to raise money for Turtle Hospital in Marathon.

The non-profit Turtle Hospital, in the Florida Keys, was established in 1986 with four goals: to rehabilitate injured sea turtles and return them to their natural habitat, educate the public through outreach programs including visits to local schools, conduct and assist with research aiding sea turtles in conjunction with universities, and work toward environmental legislation to make water safe and clean for sea turtles.

Families from all grade levels donated goods to the sale, which raised $487 for the hospital that depends on donations.

Turtle Hospital contains up-to-date equipment needed to perform a variety of surgeries on different species and sizes of sea turtles. The hospital has successfully treated and released over 1,500 sea turtles, which are released in a variety of ways and at different locations depending on the species.