White Castle Celebrates National Slider Day With Donation To Autism Speaks

White Castle raised in excess of $800,000 during World Autism Month and extends online campaign

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May 15, 2017, 09:39 ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On the third annual National Slider Day, White Castle pays homage to the 96-year-old Original Slider^® by turning the spotlight to another pioneering organization, Autism Speaks®. Each year during World Autism Month in April, White Castle hosts a dedicated fundraising campaign for the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization. This year White Castle and its customers raised in excess of $800,000, with the potential to increase further with each additional use of #WC4Autism on social media through the end of May 2017.

"National Slider Day was created to celebrate our extended Craver family, the millions of customers who have Craved, purchased, shared and enjoyed our 2-by-2 inch slider over the past 96 years," said Jamie Richardson, Vice President at White Castle. "It is a natural extension to use this platform to acknowledge and applaud the wonderful work of Autism Speaks in communities worldwide."

Autism Speaks and White Castle have partnered together to "Light It Up Blue" for 9 years, raising over $5.8 million. The 2017 donation brings the 10-year total to more than $6.5 million.

This year, White Castle collected donations during the month of April on behalf of Autism Speaks through the sales of $1, $3 and $5 puzzle pieces. Customers were also able to support through purchasing Crave Cases online or through the mobile app, proceeds from which were donated to Autism Speaks. Cravers nationwide enjoying the retail products from grocery, club stores and convenience stores were able to show their support by coloring a special insert blue and posting to social media with the hashtag #WC4Autism. White Castle donated $5 to Autism Speaks for each post shared online.

In celebration of National Slider Day, White Castle is extending the online portion of the campaign through the end of May 2017. For each original public post on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #WC4Autism, the family-owned business will donate an additional $5 to Autism Speaks, up to a maximum of $50,000.

"Our commitment to Autism Speaks and supporting families who have been affected by autism is a part of our company because it is a part of our lives. Our family, and the families of many of our team members, have experienced the effects of autism," said Erin Shannon, corporate relations manager at White Castle and fourth generation member of the White Castle leadership. "We're thrilled that our Cravers and team members so strongly supported the puzzle piece campaign again this year. Their kindness allows White Castle to provide nourishment and hope to families affected by an autism diagnosis."

The significant donations to Autism Speaks will help the organization to continue acting as a catalyst for research breakthroughs, increasing early-childhood screening and timely intervention, improving the transition to adulthood and ensuring lifelong access to reliable information and services.

Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. We now know that there is not one autism but many subtypes, and each person with autism can have unique strengths and challenges. Most are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental influences, and many are accompanied by medical issues such as GI disorders, seizures and sleep disturbances. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 1 in 68 children is on the autism spectrum.

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® which was named the most influential burger of all time in 2014 by Time. Today White Castle owns and operates nearly 400 restaurants in 13 states. All White Castle Sliders are made from 100 percent USDA inspected beef. 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 signature products 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 www.whitecastle.com.

About Castle Shares
By feeding hunger, hope and dreams, the White Castle family helps build strong, thriving, Craver communities through the Castle Shares program. Founder Billy Ingram believed in taking care of people and giving back to the community. His philosophy still remains a focus of the family-owned business today. White Castle donates $2.1 million every year to a variety of charities across the nation, including over $850,000 to Autism Speaks in 2016. The White Castle family supports more than 50 charities each year with volunteers, money and food donations.

SOURCE White Castle