White Castle® Renews USA Luge Sponsorship Through 2023

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- White Castle, home of The Original Slider^®, and USA Luge, the national governing body for the sport of luge, have renewed their partnership through 2023. The nation's two foremost "slider" experts announced the two-year extension today.

White Castle kicked off its partnership with USA Luge in 2017, becoming the first and only fast-food restaurant to serve as an official sponsor of the organization and the title sponsor of its off-season recruitment program, the White Castle USA Luge Slider Search. This program, which launched in 1985, has introduced the sport of luge to more than 25,000 kids across the U.S., including over 1,500 just since 2017.

To kick off the renewed sponsorship, USA Luge and White Castle will introduce a video series called "The Making of a Slider," which features seven videos focusing on different aspects of luge racing and the importance of developing a healthy mindset for achieving goals. The videos will be released one at a time over the next several months on White Castle's and USA Luge's websites and social media accounts as a way to generate interest in both the sport and the White Castle USA Luge Slider Search clinics. 

"The partnership with USA Luge is a natural fit because we're both in the slider business," said Jamie Richardson, a vice president at White Castle. "We're honored to help introduce the next generation of athletes to this exciting sport through the annual off-season recruitment program and now with this new video series. COVID has been tough on everyone, and having something positive for young athletes to focus on is a great way we can help feed the souls of craver generations everywhere."

With support from White Castle's restaurant and retail grocery divisions, USA Luge takes its summer and fall recruitment tours to cities coast to coast. Children age 9 through 13 can attend the free clinics, where U.S. Olympic and National Team coaches and athletes teach the basics of riding a luge sled. Participants get the opportunity to ride down paved tracks on wheel-equipped luge sleds. Those who show promise are considered for the USA Luge National Development Team.

"The White Castle USA Luge Slider Search program has been instrumental in raising awareness of the sport, driving interest among young athletes and providing the talent pool for future competitors who will represent us all at the Winter Games," said Gordy Sheer, USA Luge director of marketing and sponsorships and the 1998 Olympic silver medalist in the sport. "The partnership with White Castle has been very successful, and we're thrilled to continue it." 

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, USA Luge reduced the number of stops on its recruitment tour in 2020 but still held some clinics using new safety protocols to protect the health of participants. Plans for this year are still in progress.

Luge has been an Olympic sport since 1964. Commonly referred to as "sliders," luge athletes slide down a track of ice on sleds, feet first, at speeds reaching 90 miles an hour. The USA Luge team has won six Olympic medals and almost 600 medals in elite- and junior-level international competitions since 1994.

More information about the White Castle USA Luge Slider Search program can be found on teamusa.org/usa-luge/white-castle-slider-search. 

About White Castle^®

White Castle, America's first fast-food hamburger chain, has been making hot and tasty Sliders as a family-owned business for 100 years. Based in Columbus, Ohio, White Castle started serving The Original Slider^® in 1921. Today White Castle owns and operates more than 360 restaurants dedicated to satisfying customers' cravings morning, noon and night and sells its famous fare in retail stores nationwide. The Original Slider, named in 2014 as Time Magazine's most influential burger of all time, is served alongside a menu of creatively crafted sliders and other mouthwatering food options, including White Castle's Impossible^™ Slider, named by Thrillist in 2019 as the "Best Plant-Based Fast Food Burger." White Castle's commitment to maintaining the highest quality products extends to the company owning and operating its own meat processing plants, bakeries and frozen-food processing plants. White Castle is known for the legendary loyalty of its team members, more than 1 in 4 of whom have worked for White Castle for at least 10 years, and of its faithful fans, affectionately referred to as Cravers, many of whom compete each year for entry into the Cravers Hall of Fame. The official White Castle app, available at iTunes App Store or Google Play, makes it easy for Cravers to access sweet deals and place pickup orders any time. They can also have their orders delivered using one of White Castle's delivery partners. For more information on White Castle, visit whitecastle.com. 

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SOURCE White Castle