Retired Professional Football Player Honored With Induction Into The 13th Cravers Hall Of Fame Class

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Cravers Hall of Fame inductees have come from all walks of life, but for the first time, a professional athlete has been honored for his crave.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131114/CL16808)
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20030828/WHITECASTLELOGO)

White Castle honored former Chicago Bears defensive tackle Anthony "Spice" Adams with the "Cravers in Extremis" status as an inductee into the Cravers Hall of Fame. "Cravers in Extremis" is a public figure, celebrity or pop icon who has publicly shown their love of White Castle.

Adams' dedication to Autism Speaks and his nationally recognized humorous video trilogy announcing his retirement from professional football, his White Castle employment tryout and his induction into the Cravers Hall of Fame earned him a spot in the class of 2013.

For his dedication to White Castle, Vice President Jamie Richardson presented Adams with a $20,000 check from Castle Shares for donation to the charity of his choice. The Castle Shares program, White Castle's charitable outreach initiative, recently helped the efforts of Autism Speaks, Angels' Night in Detroit, Shriners Hospitals for Children in Indianapolis, among others.

"I'm honored to join the ultimate fans in the Cravers Hall of Fame, and I am extremely pleased by the generosity the White Castle family continues to exhibit to charity organizations across the country," said Adams.

Knowing the announcement of his retirement from football wouldn't attract the attention of a household-named player, Adams decided to make a parody video announcing his retirement from the Chicago Bears at a White Castle restaurant. The video gained more than one million views on YouTube. White Castle followed up with Adams and made a second video spoof of Adams trying out for a position at White Castle. This video helped to raise $25,000 for Autism Speaks. The third video released last week features Adams finding out he's being inducted into to the hall of fame in Ohio, but it's not the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. It's the White Castle Cravers Hall of Fame.

"Anthony Adams embodies all that is a Craver," Richardson said. "White Castle is excited to bestow this honor to him, and we look forward to announcing Adams' charity of choice."

Since 2010, White Castle has helped to support the efforts of Autism Speaks through the selling of puzzle pieces and the popular steam-grilled-on-a-bed-of-onions Original Slider®-scented candle. The candles will be available in restaurants this year beginning Nov.17, with 100 percent of net proceeds benefiting the Autism Speaks organization.

The Hall of Fame was established in 2001, and more than 7,600 Cravers have vied for the honor of a Cravers Hall of Fame induction. This elite Hall of Fame is home to 170 inductees, including "Cravers in Extremis" inductees the current speaker of the house and two movie stars. Adams was inducted along with 12 other Cravers to the Cravers Hall of Fame. All stories are celebrated in the Hall of Fame section of the White Castle website.

About White Castle
White Castle is a family-owned business based in Columbus, Ohio, that owns and operates more than 400 restaurants in 12 states. The company was founded in Wichita, Kan., in 1921 and is America's first fast-food hamburger chain. 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. White Castle's new loyalty program, Craver Nation, connects like-minded Cravers from around the globe in a social media setting. For more information on White Castle and Craver Nation, visit whitecastle.com and cravernation.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 remains a focus of the family-owned business today. White Castle donates millions of dollars every year to a variety of charities across the nation. In 2013 during April, National Autism Awareness Month, White Castle raised a record $602,000 for Autism Speaks as part of its annual Puzzle Piece Campaign. The White Castle family supports more than 50 charities each year with volunteers, monetary and food donations.

SOURCE White Castle