Carvel is celebrating a whale of a birthday on June 1st, as the brand’s famous ice cream cake character Fudgie the Whale, turns 40 years old. Since his creation in 1977, Fudgie the Whale has achieved pop-culture icon status. Originally developed as a Father’s Day dessert touting the message “For a Whale of a Dad”, Fudgie has evolved into something for any occasion.

In lieu of birthday “gifts”, Carvel and Fudgie the Whale are calling fans to action around a very special cause – saving other whales across the ocean! In honor of this tremendous milestone, Carvel is partnering with the non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization, Save the Whales, which is also celebrating its 40th anniversary.

Friends of Fudgie can send virtual birthday wishes to the lovable finback using #40YearsofFudgie or when they visit http://carvel.com/FortyYearsofFudgie. You can also discover more about the mission of Save the Whales and learn how to contribute to Carvel’s fundraising efforts.

Carvel will be collecting donations to benefit Save the Whales starting June 1 to September 30. Every $10 donated will serve as an entry to win free ice cream cakes for a year from Carvel. Plus, donors who contribute $25 or more are eligible to receive a commemorative Fudgie the Whale plush toy.

Carvel has local locations in Clifton, Fair Lawn, Hackensack, Lyndhurst, Nanuet, Ramsey and Wayne. For more information, visit the Carvel website.