Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Cherryville, NC (WNN) - For over 50 years the Cherryville New Years Shooters have carried our city's tradition over the radio in conjunction with KTC Broadcasting and WCSL (92.9). This year, 21 of the 550 shooters in this group attended the event, filling the parking lot at the station.
Milton Baker, the host of several KTC programs, including the Swap Shop, came out to speak with Rusty Wise, Donnie Alexander, and Charles Sisk, all leaders of the organization. When Baker asked if the tradition is done anywhere else in the United States, Wise responded, believing Cherryville is the only place in the USA that does so. The tradition of New Year Shooting originates in Germany, and according to Wise, the shot at Rudisill Stadium will feature something special this year, pulled from those traditions.
A "Die Salve" is when all of the muskets are fired at once. This will be a spectacle to behold as over 550 people fire black powder in the center of Cherryville. This event may even be measurable by the Richter Scale.
The tradition itself is meant to ward off evil and bring good luck to the families and towns where it is performed. This is why the New Years Shooters also attend Cherryville High School Football games, to wish the players good luck and celebrate their touchdowns. As for its other purpose, there is a distinct lack of ghosts and witches at Rudisill Stadium, so it is successful in that department as well.
Donnie Alexander, who has been doing the chant with the shooters for 52 years, continued the tradition this year. "And for good luck, we'll fire our guns." The final words of the centuries-old chant echo, being followed by a volley of blasts. Some of the youngest of the shooters started before the adults joined suit in several rounds of blasts. Alexander and Sisk ended the broadcast with Baker, wishing everyone good luck and expressing their own readiness for another year of Cherryville's strongest tradition.
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