The organizers of the National Hollerin' Contest are canceling their annual hollerin' contest, which began 47 years ago as a fundraiser for the Spivey's Corner Volunteer Fire Department.
Contest organizers say hollerin' was a long-distance form of vocal communication developed long before telephones and sirens.
Winners often demonstrated proficiency in a range of old-time hollers, including those used to call cows, or call neighbors for help, according to Wayne Edwards, who's been attached to the event since the beginning.
But interest in the contest has waned over the years, Edwards said, and what started as a fundraiser, has begun costing the volunteer fire department money. He said it was a tough decision to end the hollerin' contest, but he hopes to drum up enough interest over the next two years to host a 50th anniversary contest.
For now, Edwards said residents of Spivey's Corner plan to holler in favor Jocelyn Naylor at the Miss Teen North Carolina pageant in Raleigh next week.
