We're proud of Hayden Panettiere.

The young actress is continuing to fight for a cause in which she believes strongly. Over the weekend, the Heroes star led the rally against the resumption of commercial whaling in Washington, D.C.'s Dupont Circle Sunday.

The 18-year-old was greeted with applause as she gave her speech in front of supporters that included her mother/manager, Lesley Panettiere.

Boyfriend Milo Ventimiglia was not on hand, but we are pretty sure he would be quite proud of his girl. We know we are.

Follow our link to learn how you can help Hayden save the whales.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.