The Daily Record
Sad End To Hollerin’ Contest
We note with sadness and a touch of nostalgia the recent passing of the once-famed National Hollerin’ Contest, a signature event with a national following that put tiny Spivey’s Corner down in Sampson County on the map, any map.
For too many years to count the contest gave Tar Heels something to hoot and holler about. Like the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga., it was “a tradition like no other.” It was loud, rowdy and fun. And it was all North Carolina.
But [last] week organizers reported that newfangled ways and consistent monetary losses would doom the contest to a quick and merciful end. It happened without a shout.
The National Hollerin’ Contest, it appears, was brought down by changes in how we communicate — who needs to holler across the fields when we all have cellphones? — and the demands of running the event that put the Sampson County farming crossroads on the national map.
First, give the spirited folks of Spivey’s Corner credit. Starting with founder Ermon Godwin’s brainchild, and made possible by thousands of volunteer hours over the past 47 years, they raised money for their fire department and drew thousands to their community. They beamed with pride as their contest winners became celebrities during the heyday of Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show.”
They had a lot of fun along the way, too, even promoting tiny Spivey’s Corner as potential Super Bowl and Olympic sites.
Every summer, often in searing heat, they celebrated the rural hollering custom. But the contest was no longer a money-maker, despite efforts to adapt to the times. Sadly it goes out with a whimper.
From the The Times-News in Burlington
