Cullman City Parks & Recreation

For over 5 years, the Cullman Wellness and Aquatic Center has been serving the Cullman community in all of its fitness, aquatic, and health needs. When envisioned years ago by visionary leaders like Chester Freeman, no one could have anticipated the success the center would have. The old adage of “build it and they will come” could not be truer for the facility, which met its 5 year goal in just 5 months, and to date is serving close to 13,000 members in the Cullman area. The center has made a major impact in getting people more active, healthy, and involved throughout the community. When the project was started, the tagline “building a stronger, healthier community” was penned as the mission statement and purpose of the center. These effects have been overwhelmingly seen in the thousands of members who have been able to lose weight, stay in shape, and live a healthier lifestyle due to the center’s offerings. Since its inception, thousands have also flocked to the center for a day...

On Tuesday, October 24, Cullman City Parks and Recreation officially announced the renewal of the ASA National Archery Tournament, tacking on three more years to the event that began hosting at St. Bernard Abbey in 2012. After several months of cooperation and work between local hotels, St. Bernard Abbey, and Cullman City Parks & Recreation, the ASA officially named July 24-26 as the official stop for the ASA in Cullman during their 2015 lineup. Mike Tyrell, President of the Archery Shooter's Association, attended a press conference Tuesday in Cullman to assure that the tournaments would remain in Cullman. The announcement came after some worry that the tournament would not return to Cullman due to issues with local hotels overcharging the over 1,5000 archers from across the world for lodging. Tyrell was proud to announce that the Cullman Hospitality Association, made up of all of the hotels in Cullman, signed an agreement to provide affordable lodg...

Many people have heard of the big archery tournament that has been coming into Cullman for the past 2 years, but what is this event really all about? The Archery Shooter's Association is the international organization of professional archers, and their annual McKenzie Pro/Am Tour has brought thousands of world class archers to St. Bernard Abby in Cullman over the past several years. The tournament features close to 1,500 archers competing for large amounts of cash, scholarships, and other great prizes. The tournament will take place for the third year in Cullman August 1-4, with the biggest classic event to date. For those not too familiar with archery, the ASA tournament may not be what one would think as compared to classic archery; there are no square targets with red, blue, and yellow rings. The ASA goes for a more natural feel using 3D animal targets with different point ammounts located on the 3D targets. These more natural targets are more challe...

The Cullman Wellness & Aquatic Center will be holding a unique event on July 11, 2014 with Christmas in July. The event was a large success several years ago in supporting Cullman Caring for Kids and their efforts to keep children in the Cullman area from facing hunger. Cullman Caring for Kids has served the Cullman Community in many great ways, taking stances to prevent child hunger and advocate for an end to child abuse. Many people are thinking of ways to give during the Christmas season, and donations to the food bank are always on an upswing around Christmas time. But July is normally a pretty "dry" month for food banks all around, with less of an emphasis on giving during the summer season. Many students in Cullman County are provided free lunches during the school year; these food programs could be the only meal some of these students eat all day. The countless number of students that are able to use this program during the school year do not have this privileg...

You asked, we answered! For years we have been asked, "Why do you guys not have a year round tennis program or league for kids?" Today is the much anticipated day for the tennis enthusiasts in the community. CP&R will hold an interest meeting for its Junior Tennis league on Tuesday, July 8 at 5pm at the Cullman Wellness & Aquatic Center. All interested participants, parents, or individuals are encouraged to attend. The tennis league will start with ages 12 & under, and plans are in the works to expand the program through age 18, and possibly to adult ages in the near future. The program will be a year-round addition to the parks and recreation department, with lessons, practices, and games being held throughout the year. The program will be an affiliate of the United States Tennis Association (USTA). Coaches, volunteers, and other support are needed and are encouraged to attend the July 8th interest meeting. For more information on the tennis league, contact C...

While working on posting the Midnight Run today on several online race calendars, I started thinking of all the ways we can pull in the biggest crowd ever for the race. Of course, that is always the goal to have the most participants possible, but what is our goal or purpose for having so many runners? The Midnight Run was established 22 years ago in 1992 to serve as a fundraiser for the parks and recreation department. Many races across the country are held for various causes, and one of the most asked question we have each year is "where do the proceeds for the Midnight Run go?" People often do not get fired up about running for their local parks and recreation department, and are instead looking for races that might make more of an impact. There are plenty of great races around the area that all support great causes, but the Midnight Run is no different. Funds from the Midnight Run support the parks and recreation department to provide quality recreational opportun...