SALISBURY, N.C. – Cheerwine, the South’s favorite cherry soda, and its hometown of Salisbury are thrilled to announce the 10 finalists in the eagerly anticipated Cheerwine Festival t-shirt design contest, showcasing the talent and creativity of high school students across the Carolinas
To celebrate the spirit of the Carolinas, Cheerwine invited high school students from North and South Carolina to submit original artwork expressing their love for their home state.
The finalists are:
Elijah Gulledge (11th grade): West Rowan High School (Mount Ulla, N.C.)
Bernice Huerte (10th grade): Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy (Raleigh, N.C.)
Nicholas Smith (9th grade): West Rowan High School (Mount Ulla, N.C.)
Annika Elmquist (9th grade): North Wake College & Career Academy (Wake Forest, N.C)
Sophia Cabrera (9th grade): Central Cabarrus High School (Concord, N.C.)
Isabella Dugarte-Carrasco (11th grade): Philip J. Weaver Academy (Greensboro, N.C.)
Rachel Owens (12th grade): East Rowan High School (Salisbury, N.C.)
Isabella Marlow (11th grade): Jesse C. Carson High School (China Grove, N.C.)
Carter Coon (10th grade): Northeast Guilford High School (McLeansville, N.C.)
Hope Hamilton (10th grade): East Rowan High School (Salisbury, N.C.)
A panel of judges, including Mayor Karen Alexander of Salisbury; Vivian Koontz, events coordinator for the City of Salisbury; Joy Ritchie Harper, vice president of marketing and fifth generation founding family member at Cheerwine; Andy Corbett, senior creative manager for Cheerwine; and Amanda Nesbitt, the 2023 t-shirt contest design winner, carefully selected the top 10 entries from a pool of submissions.
From now through March 25, the public is invited to cast their votes for their favorite design here. The grand prize winner and two runners-up will be unveiled in April, with a special recognition ceremony to be held during this year’s Festival.
