Salisbury Resident Chosen as Second Semi-Finalist In Cheerwine, R-Anell Homes' ‘Givin' Away The House' Promotion 

Winning Entry Purchased at Food Lion in Cheerwine's Hometown

June 27, 2005 – Susan Kennedy of Salisbury , N.C. , is the second of five semi-finalists in Cheerwine soft drink's “Givin' Away The House” promotion with R-Anell Homes.

Kennedy was selected as a semi-finalist on June 20, earning her a one-in-five chance of winning a 1,400-square-foot home as part of Cheerwine's Crave Factor promotion. The first semi-finalist, Betty Martin of Monticello , Fla. , w as selected in May. Three additional semi-finalists will be drawn on the 20 th of each month through September, with the grand prize winner selected among the five semifinalists in October.

“I'm so excited I can't stand it,” said Kennedy, a 51-year-old Food Lion employee who is a life-long Salisbury resident. “If I win the house, when I retire I will live in it right here in Salisbury .”

Kennedy grew up drinking Cheerwine and when she needed to lose weight about seven years ago, she switched to Diet Cheerwine. “I liked the flavor; it doesn't have an aftertaste,” she explained, adding that she now continues drinking Diet Cheerwine to help her maintain her weight.

The promotion is administered by The Crave Factor, Cheerwine's online consumer rewards program. Every code entered into a Crave Factor account at www.cheerwine.com generates an entry to win the house. In addition, entries can be made at www.r-anell.com . The giveaway is promoted on 2-liter bottles and 12-pack cartons of Cheerwine.

Kennedy entered the promotion through The Crave Factor. For years, she would give her bottle caps to a co-worker, but finally decided to enter on her own. For Kennedy, who drinks a two-liter bottle of Diet Cheerwine a day and is known as the “Cheerwine Lady” by her co-workers, bottle caps were not hard to come by. She purchases her Diet Cheerwine at Food Lion stores in Salisbury .

“We are thrilled to have a semi-finalist not only from Cheerwine's heartland territory but from the headquarters city,” says Ray Kepley, warehouse plant manager of Piedmont Cheerwine Bottling Co., the Salisbury-area distributor of Cheerwine. “The house promotion has caused so much excitement throughout the Cheerwine territory, but it's nice to bring it back home.”

The promotion between Cheerwine soft drink , which has quenched the thirst of consumers throughout the Southeast for nearly 90 years with a unique cherry taste, rich burgundy color and bubbly effervescence, and R-Anell Homes, the oldest and most established manufacturer of custom homes in the Southeast since 1972, began in April.

Stallings Homes, an R-Anell builder, is located in Kannapolis , N.C.

“This is the first time we've had a home giveaway promotion, and it's a great chance for someone to visit our center and have an opportunity to become the final winner and owner of The Preston,” said Joker Stallings of Stallings Homes.  “We are delighted that the June semi-finalist is from this area.”

The home model is The Preston, which won a 2004 National Association of Builders Building Systems Council award for its design.  The Preston is a three-bedroom, two-bath home.  The home has 9-foot ceilings, a built-in glass hutch in the kitchen and a formal dining area.  The laundry room contains space for a freezer.

R-Anell Homes, a privately owned company, is an industry leader providing builders with a variety of custom home designs ranging from 1,000 to 4,000 square feet. R-Anell's custom engineering and specialized manufacturing provide superior homes and numerous options for custom builders. The company also provides multi-family and commercial offerings. R-Anell has 350 employees and operates two manufacturing facilities in Denver and Cherryville , N.C. Visit the R-Anell website at www.r-anell.com

Cheerwine is distributed in North and South Carolina , as well as portions of Tennessee , Kentucky , Georgia , Virginia , Alabama , Louisiana , Texas , Oklahoma , Arkansas , West Virginia , Pennsylvania , Iowa , Missouri , Illinois , Indiana and Minnesota .

Carolina Beverage Corp. was founded in Salisbury , N.C. , in 1917 and originated the Cheerwine and Diet Cheerwine soft drink brands. Carolina Beverage also markets its own Blue Mist purified water.

For more information about Cheerwine, its history, products and recipes, as well as information on how to purchase Cheerwine products online, visit www.cheerwine.com , www.dietcheerwine.com or www.bluemistwater.com .