ROSLYN, New York --

Hayden Panettiere of NBC’s Heroes and social computing platform Zude.com are offering Hayden’s fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join her and other celebrities at a Save the Whales Again! fundraiser and a private whale watching tour in the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California.

Fans are invited to bid at a charity auction hosted on eBay Giving Works at www.ebay.com/hayden benefiting the Save the Whales Again! Campaign. The auction runs for 10 days, and bidding will close at 7 p.m. EST on Friday, May 30.

The winning bidder and five friends will be treated to a VIP experience as Panettiere’s guests at the Save the Whales Again! celebrity fundraiser to be held at Beso, Eva Longoria’s Hollywood restaurant, on August 10. At the cocktail party, attendees will rub elbows with Hollywood elite, be entertained by special musical guests and have a chance to bid on unique items.

“Dolphins and whales are the barometers of the health of our oceans,” Panettiere said. “They are the most contaminated animals on the planet, and like canaries in a coal mine, they are telling us that something is seriously wrong. So go the oceans, so goes life on earth. Please join us in our fight to save these beautiful creatures, and preserve the quality of life in this world for our children, and generations to come.

Within days of attending the Beso party, Panettiere will set sail with the winner of the auction and five friends on a private whale-watching expedition through California’s Channel Islands. World-renowned marine conservationist and founder of the Whaleman Foundation Jeff Pantukhoff will personally lead the expedition onboard Condor Cruise’s 75-foot catamaran,the Condor Express.

“One of the best ways for people to truly understand these magnificent creatures “is to interact with them in their own environment,” Pantukhoff said. “The Whaleman foundation is dedicated to oceanic research, preserving and protecting dolphins, whales and their ocean habitat.”

Panettiere is partnering with the social computing platform Zude.com to connect with her fans and encourage them to help Save The Whales Again! Visitors to her official website, www.zude.com/hayden can click on the Save the Whales Again! campaign badge on her homepage, watch a special welcome video and sign up through her Fanbase. Every new fanbase member will be entered into a drawing for personally autographed memorabilia from Hayden.

Fanbase members can also do their part to help Hayden Save The Whales Again! by copying the embed code from the ‘grab button’ on Panettiere’s store and pasting that code on their own page to share with their friends. The widget lets Panettiere’s fans help her raise funds by selling her dresses, clothes, and shoes in conjunction with her non-profit store.

Full details of the auction and fanbase contest, including rules, regulations, and legal restrictions can be found at www.ebay.com/hayden.

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