White Castle Becomes Official Sponsor Of USA Luge

Inaugural White Castle USA Luge Slider Search event to be held on May 13-14 in Columbus, Ohio

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Apr 11, 2017, 12:00 ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The nation's two foremost slider experts, White Castle and USA Luge, announced a two-year partnership Tuesday, making White Castle the first and only fast food organization in the United States to become an official partner of USA Luge and title sponsor of the off-season recruitment program, the White Castle USA Luge Slider Search.

An Olympic sport since 1964, luge consists of athletes sliding down a track of ice on sleds, feet first, at speeds of up to 90 miles per hour. In addition to five Olympic medals, USA Luge athletes, referred to as 'sliders,' have won almost 600 elite level and junior international medals since 1994, making the organization one of the most decorated Winter Olympics National Governing Body.

USA Luge's longstanding recruitment effort, appropriately titled the 'Slider Search' program, has been instrumental in raising the sport's awareness, driving interest among young athletes and providing the talent pool for future Olympic competitors. With the support of White Castle restaurant and retail grocery divisions, the youth program becomes the White Castle USA Luge Slider Search. The upcoming recruitment tour will kick off in White Castle's hometown of Columbus, Ohio on May 13-14, 2017. Additional stops will be announced later this spring.

"At White Castle, a family-owned business for 96 years, we have been serving The Original Slider® for nearly a century and pride ourselves on knowing a thing or two about sliders," said Lynn Blashford, Vice President of Marketing at White Castle. "When we discovered that USA Luge was looking for the next generation of sliders, we knew that White Castle could help fuel their efforts and hopefully help them bring home coveted medals for many Winter Games to come."

White Castle's sponsorship will support the USA Luge team and its summer and fall recruitment tours, which will host events in various cities across the country. Kids aged nine through 13 are welcome to attend, experience wheeled luge sleds at slower speeds and ultimately be considered for the USA Luge Junior National Development team. The coaches guiding each event include National and Olympic team athletes, giving each young participant professional instruction and inspiration.

"This off-season tour is our pathway to finding new, young athletes that will one day become Olympians and Olympic medalists," said Gordy Sheer, USA Luge Director of Marketing and Sponsorships, and 1998 Olympic silver medalist. "The White Castle sponsorship will be crucial as we seek to expand the Slider Search. Plus, who can resist the 'slider' connection?"

For more information about White Castle, visit whitecastle.com. Details about USA Luge and 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 based in Columbus, Ohio, has been making Bold Moves™ as a family-owned business for more than 95 years. The company was founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921, serving The Original Slider^®, made from 100 percent USDA inspected beef. Today White Castle owns and operates nearly 400 restaurants in 13 states. The pioneering original slider, Time Magazine's most influential burger of all time, is served alongside a menu of creatively crafted sliders and other tasty food options. White Castle's commitment to maintaining the highest quality products extends to the company owning and operating its own meat processing plants and bakeries as well as three frozen food processing plants. The retail division markets White Castle's famous fare in grocery, club stores, convenience stores, vending operations and concessions across the United States and in a growing number of international locations, including military base exchanges around the world.

Cravers on-the-go can access sweet deals and place a pick-up order any time in the official White Castle app. Download the app today from the iTunes App Store or Google Play. For more information on White Castle visit whitecastle.com.

About USA Luge

USA Luge is an Olympic class member organization of the United States Olympic Committee and is the National Governing Body (NGB) for the sport of luge in the United States. A not-for-profit organization, USA Luge - the official American representative to the International Luge Federation - is based in Lake Placid, New York, with a western office in Park City, Utah. Chartered in 1979 as a direct result of the Congressional Amateur Sports Act of 1978, USA Luge is responsible to recruit, prepare, train and equip the United States National Luge Team for international and Olympic competition, as well as promote the growth of the sport nationwide. For more information on USA Luge visit teamusa.org/USA-Luge.

SOURCE White Castle