Karen Kistler

karen.kistler@salisburypost.com

 

SALISBURY — Four Rowan County high school students are among the 10 finalists in this year’s Cheerwine Festival T-Shirt Design Contest, and the work of these young artists have been unveiled and announced by Cheerwine and its hometown of Salisbury.

Therefore, it’s time for the voting to begin to select the winner. Voting is open through March 21 to select the top design, and the public is encouraged to visit the website and vote for their favorite at https://cheerwine.com/festival-contest/. 

Local students who have been named as finalists in the design contest are Addison Lambert of Rockwell, a 10th grader at East Rowan High School; Cailey Ludwig of Gold Hill, an 11th grade student at East Rowan High School; Elijah Gulledge of Salisbury, a senior at West Rowan High School; and Katelyn Roberts of Salisbury, also a senior at West Rowan High School.

The remaining finalists include Eden Vander Ploeg of Moore, S.C., a ninth grader at Dorman Freshman Campus; Elenore Sisson of Myrtle Beach, S.C., a ninth grader at Socastee High School; Elizabeth Linker of  Greensboro, a 10th grader at Weaver Academy; Isabella Dugarte-Carrasco of Greensboro, a senior at Weaver Academy; Lyra Swain of Fayetteville, a ninth grader at  Cumberland Academy and Samantha Culler of Winston-Salem, a 10th grader at John F. Kennedy High School.

As shared in a release, the contest is an annual tradition that commemorates North and South Carolina’s heritage, culture and creativity, and invites high school students to use their artistic talents to “create unique designs that capture Cheerwine’s essence, embody the spirit of being uniquely Southern and celebrate Carolina pride.”

More than 150 designs were submitted, representing 35 schools from across the Carolinas. The top 10 entries were selected from these by a panel of judges, which included Salisbury Mayor Tamara Sheffield; Vivian Koontz, events coordinator for the city of Salisbury; and Joy Ritchie Harper, vice president of marketing and fifth-generation founding family member at Cheerwine.

As noted on the site, participants may vote once with a winner and two runner-ups announced in mid-April. There will be a special recognition ceremony held during this year’s Festival, which is scheduled for May 17.

As noted on the contest rules, a first place contest winner will be chosen based on the highest number of valid votes. The winner will receive a $1,000 gift card, along with a commemorative plaque presented by Salisbury’s mayor and additional prizes. The teacher of the winning student will win $500 for new art supplies.

Two runners-up will also be selected based on the second and third highest number of votes.

“We continue to be amazed by the passion and creativity students bring to this contest,” said Harper. “This year’s finalists brought the region’s spirit to life through vibrant and imaginative designs. We’re grateful to the teachers, administrators and young artists who make this possible, and we can’t wait to see which design will represent this year’s festival.”

A free event, the Cheerwine Festival is held in downtown Salisbury and will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with shuttle service provided from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. 

Among the activities offered for the entire family will be live music, Cheerwine-inspired food and drinks, arts and crafts and a kid’s zone.

For more information on the festival, go to cheerwine.com/festival. As they become available, additional details can be found by searching #CheerwineFest on social media.