White Castle NFT Art Collaboration Raises $25,000 for Team Members in Need

The Team Member Relief Fund is available to assist any of White Castle's 10,000 team members.

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Dec. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- White Castle's first foray into NFT art brought the brand to life in this innovative corner of the digital world and, at the same time, raised a significant sum for team members in need of financial support. A significant portion of White Castle's net proceeds from the sale of the NFTs — $25,000 in total — went directly to White Castle's Team Member Relief.

Dec. 17 marks the first anniversary of the campaign launch with Doodle Labs, which included the release of White Castle's generative art NFT collection on the Ethereum blockchain. It celebrated White Castle's 100^th birthday with a series of 5,001 NFTs created by the acclaimed digital media artist Che-Yu Wu.

The White Castle Team Member Relief Fund, established by White Castle's third-generation leader and then-CEO Bill Ingram following Superstorm Sandy in 2012, is an emergency support system designed to assist any team member who encounters an unexpected hardship. White Castle team members can apply for a relief grant of up to $1,500.

"One of our primary responsibilities as a family-owned business is to make sure we improve our community, and that starts with our team members," said Erin Shannon, fourth-generation family member and corporate relations manager at White Castle. "At the heart of this innovative technical collaboration is making sure the soul of our company, the team members, know we have their back in their time of unanticipated need."

The Team Member Relief Fund is one element of White Castle's "Castle Shares" philanthropic program.  Funding support for the program is provided, in part, by The Ingram White Castle Foundation – which exists to provide physical, educational, emotional and spiritual nourishment to those who hunger for knowledge, independence, and self-sufficiency. 

White Castle, America's first fast-food hamburger chain, has been making hot and tasty Sliders since 1921. Based in Columbus, Ohio, the family-owned business owns and operates more than 350 restaurants as well as a retail division providing its famous fare in freezer aisles of retail stores nationwide. As part of its commitment to offering the highest quality products, White Castle owns and operates its own Slider Provider meat plants, bakeries and frozen-Slider retail plants. White Castle has earned numerous accolades over the years including Time magazine's "Most Influential Burger of All Time" (2014, The Original Slider®) and Thrillist's "Best Plant-Based Fast-Food Burger" (2019, Impossible^™ Slider). In 2021, Fast Company named the fast-food pioneer one of the "10 Most Innovative Dining Companies." White Castle, which earned the Great Place to Work^® Certification™ in 2021 and 2022, is known for the legendary engagement of its team members, more than 1 in 4 of whom have worked for the business for at least 10 years. White Castle is beloved by its passionate fans ("Cravers"), many of whom compete each year for entry into the Cravers Hall of Fame. The official White Castle app makes it easy for Cravers to sign up for the Craver Nation^® loyalty program, access sweet deals and place pickup orders at 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. 

SOURCE White Castle