White Castle Extends Sponsorship Of USA Luge, Supports Next Generation Of Sliders

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- White Castle and USA Luge, the nation's two foremost slider experts, announced a two-year partnership extension Monday, furthering White Castle's position as the first and only fast-food organization to be named an official partner of USA Luge. The partnership also continues White Castle's position as title sponsor of the longstanding off-season recruitment program, the White Castle USA Luge Slider Search, which introduced the sport of luge to more than 1,200 youth across the U.S. over the past two off-seasons.

Luge has been an Olympic sport since 1964 and consists of athletes sliding down a track of ice on sleds, feet first, at speeds of up to 90 miles per hour. Commonly referred to as 'sliders,' USA Luge athletes have won six Olympic medals and almost 600 medals in elite level and junior international competition since 1994. The renewed partnership with White Castle comes just before the USA Luge team begins competing in the 2019 Luge World Championships in Winterberg, Germany.

USA Luge's off-season recruitment effort, the White Castle USA Luge 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. So much so, that the search was responsible for discovering 65 percent of all current junior athletes in the USA Luge system and three of six athletes competing in the 2019 Luge World Championships.

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 the free clinics, 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.

"At White Castle, we've been honing our slider skills for 98 years, and we're always interested in opportunities to further our expertise," said Lynn Blashford, vice president of marketing at White Castle. "As a family-owned business, we understand exactly what it takes to add to the team, and we're excited to continue our partnership with USA Luge to share the sport of luge and discover the next generation of USA Luge sliders."

With support from White Castle's restaurant and retail grocery divisions, the upcoming recruitment tour will kick off in White Castle's hometown of Columbus, Ohio in early May of 2019. Additional stops will be announced later this spring and will include locations across the U.S. from coast to coast.

"We're thrilled to continue our partnership with White Castle to bring the Slider Search to cities around the country this off-season to share the sport of luge and find new, young athletes to add to the successes of USA Luge," said Gordy Sheer, USA Luge director of marketing and sponsorships, and 1998 Olympic silver medalist. "Over the first two years of our partnership with White Castle, we saw an incredible ninety percent increase in youth that were introduced to the sport through the Slider Search."

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 Movestm as a family-owned business for more than 98 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