On a bright and shiny morning in Arkansas, the stuff that makes up American dreams was served up in a chicken finger basket along with a side of love.
Raising Cane’s found a perfect way to honor the upcoming Paris Olympics this month by bringing together sports power couple Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall for a day of sporting good fun at the restaurant’s Fayetteville location.
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS – JULY 10: (L-R) Olympian Tara Davis-Woodhall and Paralympian Hunter Woodhall arrive to work Pre-Paris “Shift” at Raising Cane’s on July 10, 2024 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images for Raising Cane’s)
The married couple showed up for a pre-Olympics “shift” to serve Cane’s Box Combos to fans who came to see the action and enjoy delectable servings of fries and chicken fingers that were as golden as the coveted medals of the game itself.
Meals that were hot and fresh went to fans who ordered through the drive-thru window and at the counter inside. Every guest who encountered the athletes experienced sheer joy. Some asked for selfies while others just wanted to take a moment to congratulate Tara for solidifying her spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics at trials in late June. Her husband Hunter aims to do so at the Paralympics trials in coming days.
The Paris Olympics will be Tara’s second and Hunter’s third, should he punch his ticket to Paris following the trials. The special morning at Raising Cane’s was a big win all around for the ONE LOVE of the franchise being a supreme launchpad for these star athletes before heading to the “City of Love” games.
“Hunter and Tara are an iconic Olympic couple and it was great having them out to celebrate their past victories as they look to add a few Olympic medals to their collection while in Paris,” said Raising Cane’s owner and founder Todd Graves. “They are both stellar athletes and role models within the track and field community, and I wish them nothing but continued success on and off the field.”
Together they were as sweet as an RC lemonade and deliciously adorable to see. The secret to their love may not be as locked up as Raising Cane’s recipes, but they did squeeze out a bit of their secret sauce to balancing love and sportsmanship in between their “shift” time behind the cash register.
“We are so connected with with our team and our community,” Hunter told Knockturnal. “Through our entire careers I feel like that’s what’s pushed us to continue going. I mean there’s there’s a lot of people who have negativity or maybe don’t believe in our athletic abilities, but our community and people that really have supported us have been there from the beginning. They bet on us and now we get to to go even bigger.”
It was good teamwork skills while serving up chicken fingers to fans at Raising Cane’s that was obvious. It was an incredible moment that dazzled with the deep meaning of going to the Olympics. The power of participation and involvement was expressed by the power couple of thanked Raising Cane’s for the amazing support of Olympians and Paralympians.
“There’s so many days that are challenging mentally and physically and having somebody else not just that understands what we’re doing but can also like kind of be the rock in those difficult situations is paramount,” Hunter explained when comparing a backing of the restaurant feeling as empowering aas the love to his life partner. “We’re teamwork and that is the dream come true.”
Summing up a perfect day of ONE LOVE before the historical moment in sports, they collectively said together, “Love supports us both on and off the field.”
The 2024 Paris Olympics will begin with an opening ceremony unlike any other in Olympic history. On Friday, July 26, the Summer Games will kick off on the Seine River in Paris. Rather than the traditional stadium ceremony, nearly 100 boats will parade down a long stretch of the Seine, winding through Paris, passing by some of the city’s iconic bridges, landmarks, and Olympic venues, and ending near the Eiffel Tower. The Paralympics will also take place in Paris and begin on August 28. Hunter’s primary focus at the Paralympics will be the 400m, with plans to compete in the 100m and potentially the 4x100m relay.
And standing just as proudly and deserving a glorious medal is Raising Cane’s, which is one of the fastest-growing restaurant brands, with 800+ Restaurants in 40+ states and plans to open 100 new Restaurants across several new markets in 2024. Companies like this are winning the real game in the industry because they care about people and see them more than customers. They truly care about folks like these phenomenal athletes who are out to make the American dream a golden, crisp reality.
Here is to the secret sauce that will make the 2024 Olympics simply epic.
For more information visit raisingcanes.com.
Photo Credit: Raising Cane’s