By Jacob Hatcher  

For the Enquirer  

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama and the National Fitness Campaign, together with the City of Hartselle, unveiled a new Fitness Court Aug. 31 with a ribbon cutting event. 

Located in Sparkman Park, this is an open-air fitness center that allows participants to use their own body weight to get a complete workout across seven stations, sponsored by Cullman Regional Hospital and Coca-Cola Bottling of Decatur. Participants can also download the Fitness Court App for free, which coaches the user through the various stations.   

“This fitness center definitely adds to the opportunities for better health and fitness for all the citizens of Hartselle,” Mayor Randy Garrison said. “We want to make Hartselle bigger, better and healthier.”  

Sophie Martin with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama said, “Blue Cross is always looking for ways to provide opportunities for our communities to get healthier. We want to encourage you to use this platform to get healthier and to have fun.”   

Speaking for the Hartselle City Council, Councilman Ken Doss said, “We are pleased to add this to the park that we’re going to be continually trying to improve over the next several years.”  

Also on hand for the ribbon cutting were members of the Hartselle Fire Department who were able to walk attendees through the course, demonstrating for the crowd what each station’s purpose is and how to properly perform the exercises.   

The Fitness Court was sponsored by Cullman Regional Hospital and Coca-Cola Bottling of Decatur. 

On this project, the city provided a $117,000 match with a $50,000 grant from Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Alabama and the National Fitness Campaign.