Staff report

SALISBURY — Proceeds from soft drink sales at Cheerwine tents during the May 19 Cheerwine Festival will be donated to Rowan Helping Ministries.

The announcement was made by the city of Salisbury and Cheerwine, sponsors of the festival.

During the inaugural festival last year celebrating Cheerwine’s centennial, nearly 40,000 Cheerwine beverages were provided free.

This year, soft drinks will be sold by food vendors and at official Cheerwine sales tents.

All proceeds from official Cheerwine sales tents will be donated to Rowan Helping Ministries, whose mission is “to serve, through cooperative community action, our neighbors in Rowan County who are in crisis, by providing essential life needs and educating and empowering them to break the cycle of crisis.”

Some 30 years ago, Cheerwine donated the land on which the original Rowan Helping Ministries building was constructed.

The city said in a news release that it is “excited” that Cheerwine will once again support Rowan Helping Ministries during the 2018 Cheerwine Festival.

“So come thirsty for our hometown’s favorite soft drink, and support our community members in crisis,” the release said.

For more information on Rowan Helping Ministries, visit rowanhelpingministries.org.

For more information on the Cheerwine Festival, visit salisburync.gov/Cheerwine or the Cheerwine Festival Facebook page.