Baskin-Robbins is known for making birthdays special, offering an array of ice creams to be savored in a cone or dish. Its ice cream cakes are the best of both worlds, combining fluffy cake with a large helping of ice cream. Next month, Brentwood’s Baskin-Robbins will celebrate its own birthday – No. 20 – and owners Bruce and Gerry Dake are inviting the community to join in the fun.

On March 3 and 4, Baskin-Robbins will host its birthday bash from noon to 5 p.m. The festivities include a prize wheel, live music and plenty of ice cream. The event will also serve as a fundraiser for scholarships for students in the Liberty Union High School District.

“In our 20 years, between our Brentwood and Antioch locations, we’ve had approximately 1,000 employees,” Gerry said. “About 700 of those employees were high school students, so we’d like to establish a scholarship fund to recognize students who have been able to balance work and school.”

The Dakes will donate a portion of the funds raised during the birthday celebration to create three scholarships, one for each comprehensive high school in the district. To qualify, the student must have been employed for at least one year. Students must submit a letter of recommendation for their employer as proof, and write an essay detailing their experiences and what holding down a job, while balancing schoolwork, has taught them. Students must also earn a 3.0 grade point average and plan to attend a community college. Applications for the scholarship will be available during the event.

After 20 years in the ice cream business, Gerry considers herself fortunate to have met the children of former employees – and has even hired a few of that next generation. While the Brentwood landscape has changed over the years, the quality of service at Baskin-Robbins remains the same. The Dake family continues to be involved in community events, hosting fundraisers to support local schools and the Boy Scouts of America.

“It’s rare these days for a local business to have the same owners and be in the same location like we have,” Gerry said. “We credit the community for our longevity and we like to give back.”

When the Dakes opened their Second Street location in 1992, they were the only ice cream shop in town. Brentwood has grown significantly in the last two decades, but Gerry said their ice cream shop stays true to its mission of being a place for families, offering 44 flavors of ice cream, cakes, shakes, sundaes and other treats to the masses.

The Dakes’ success was celebrated nationally in 2010 when the couple was honored at the Dunkin’ Brands/Baskin-Robbins U.S. Global Conference. Out of the hundreds of Baskin-Robbins shop owners in the United States, the Dakes were selected to share their community-minded marketing strategies at the convention, which was attended by hundreds of global Baskin-Robbins franchisers.

Baskin-Robbins is located at 1145 Second St. in the Safeway shopping center in Brentwood. For more information about the birthday celebration or the scholarship program, call 925-516-0231.