Patriots of all ages came dressed in their best red, white and blue. / W.C. Mann
CULLMAN – Many came out for the fireworks, but there was much more going on at Heritage Park on the 4th of July as Desperation Church hosted its fifth annual family day and fireworks show.
The Tribune spoke with Desperation staffers and event coordinators Linda Stone and Cody Miller about the day’s activities.
“We’re just bringing the community together,” said Miller. “We’ve got all kinds of fun and games for the kids, inflatables, frisbee, spikeball, tons of stuff for them going on; a lot of a festival feel leading up to the show.”
Stone added, “We have some information about (Desperation) church, so that if they’re not currently attending somewhere, they can get information about our college and student ministries, and services. We’re just very passionate about getting our community together, anything we can do to bring people together to enjoy themselves stress-free, device-free, building relationships. That’s the goal behind our fireworks festival.”
An assortment of inflatables lined one side of the park’s east soccer field, while game equipment was set up out in the field. Participants were playing spikeball and cornhole, throwing footballs and frisbees, and hitting volleyballs around. To the west side of the field, food vendors sold pizza, barbecue and other items. In the heat, the “hot” commodities were shaved ice cones from a Cullman Parks and Recreation stand, and gourmet popsicles from Steel City Pops.
Visitors began staking out their spots for the fireworks show even before the event officially opened at 4 p.m.; numerous pop-up cabana tents saved seats and provided a little badly-needed respite from the sun. At the peak of the afternoon heat, many attendees headed into the shade of the park’s woods. When the sun became a little too much for one visitor, Cullman EMS was on hand to offer immediate assistance.
Crowds continued to increase through the afternoon and into the evening, leading up to the show. The rain that has been so common recently stayed away for the most part, allowing for an active day and a successful and impressive fireworks display in the evening.
Event sponsors included Metal Central of Jasper; Nelson, Bryan and Cross Attorneys; and Cameron Lee of Modern Woodmen Financial Services. Miller also wished to thank the City of Cullman for its help.
“At Desperation Church,” said Stone, “we want to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to encounter God; and we do that through our prayer service. We want people to experience life change; we do that through our small groups by building relationships. They have an opportunity, by attending Sunday services and events like this, to discover their personal purpose within the Church and in the world. Also, we want to see the need and be the answer; we want to change our world, and so we serve all the time.”
For more information about Desperation Church, visit www.desperationchurch.tv.
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