Cheerwine seeks Asheville’s ‘local legends’ and treasures

Photo courtesy of Cheerwine

From Cheerwine:

SALISBURY, NC (July 16, 2015) – Cheerwine®, the legendary soft drink of the South created in Salisbury almost 100 years ago, will have representatives in Asheville and surrounding areas next week who are part of a grassroots movement to shine a spotlight on local legends worthy of nationwide acclaim. While in the area on July 24-25, the “Local Legends, National Treasures” effort will discover and celebrate Asheville’s legendary places and people that are truly authentic, independent and unduplicated. The visit to North Carolina marks the return to Cheerwine’s home state after traveling across seven states during the past twelve weeks beginning with Alabama in late April.

“Over the past twelve weeks we have celebrated community! Those cities and towns across the South and the people, places and events that give them their unique character,” Cheerwine senior vice president of marketing & sales Tom Barbitta said. “Cheerwine is a brand of the people, we are the ‘little guy’ in the soft drink world, and so we’re excited to champion other ‘little guys’ as we set off on our mission – Local Legends, National Treasures.”

Bo Stevenson—who is not a celebrity or a made-up character but a real down-to-earth guy—serves as the “Legend Hunter” and will be in Asheville next week in search of amazing local people and places. Bo will share many of his most interesting local discoveries in a series of webisodes on social and digital media. Cheerwine is encouraging people in the Asheville area to assist Bo by visiting cheerwine.com/locallegends and nominating cherished local individuals, institutions and traditions as Local Legends, National Treasures. Visitors to the site may also vote for those most deserving of “legend” status or discover must-see treasures for their next road trip. Fans of local legends may also post their nominations to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #cheerwinelocallegend.

“I’m honored to be Cheerwine’s face and voice as we look to uncover local legends,” Bo said. “America is a nation of local treasures—legendary people, places, products and other experiences that reflect our love for the authentic, the independent spirit and the truly unique.”

“The Local Legends movement celebrates one-of-a-kind local treasures that may be almost unknown but that deserve the national attention our movement generates,” he added. “I can’t wait to visit Asheville and get started connecting Cheerwine’s passion for honoring ‘the little guy.’”

After Bo visits Asheville, he’s heading to Charlotte before ending up in Cheerwine’s hometown of Salisbury in early August to find more Local Legends, National Treasures. To date this summer Bo has visited Local Legends in Winston-Salem, Greensboro and Raleigh, North Carolina; Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile, Alabama; Jackson, Mississippi; Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky as well as Raleigh, Greensboro, Lexington and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Along the way, Bo has recognized BBQ joints, breakfast spots and lunch counters. He’s also checked out up-and-coming bands at local music venues and discovered countless other local legends.

About Cheerwine

Launched in 1917 by L.D. Peeler, Cheerwine is an iconic soft drink with a flavor that always surprises. Owned and distributed by the Carolina Beverage Corp. and Cheerwine Bottling Co. of Salisbury, N.C., the 98-year-old company is still privately owned and has been managed by the same founding family for five generations. Available in supermarkets, restaurants, mass merchandisers and convenience stores in select states nationwide and on the website at cheerwine.com.

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About Hayley Benton
Current freelance journalist and artist. Former culture/entertainment reporter at the Asheville Citizen-Times and former news reporter at Mountain Xpress. Also a coffee drinker, bad photographer, teller of stupid jokes and maker-upper of words. I can be reached at hayleyebenton [at] gmail.com. Follow me @HayleyTweeet

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