Auburn residents looking to test their physical fitness and brush up on their community's history are now in luck. A ribbon cutting was held Thursday evening at Town Creek Park to celebrate the opening of the Passport to Fitness Walk.
"The overall purposes of the trails is to promote a healthier lifestyle while showcasing some historic points of Auburn," said public relations specialist Meg Rainey.
The Passport to Fitness Walk is part of Alabama's effort to encourage healthy lifestyles in an affordable method. Auburn's four-mile addition to the program is the 85th trail in the series.
Among the guests at the inaugural walk were local residents, representatives of our local parks and recreation, and Auburn Mayor Bill Ham.
"I am happy to have a trail like this here in our city," Ham said. "I often walk with my family and my dogs, and this is a great place for this. It just makes sense."
The department overseeing and funding the trail is the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA). With help from local parks and recreation specialists, the program is readily available to implement in any community.
"It is a relatively inexpensive program," Rainey said, "that does not carry many expenses for the city because of the already in-place, extensive sidewalk routes we have."
The newly outlined trail travels through points of interest such as the Jule Collins Smith Museum, the Auburn University President's Home, City Hall, Toomers Corner and much more.
There is no cost to walk the trails outlined or for the publications supplied, so all residents are free to enjoy them as often as they like.
"People are staying closer to home and looking for less expensive ways to have fun and enjoy the weather with their families, and these trails make great day trips," Rainey said.
Parks and recreation provide a map of the local trail with all points of interest noted for easy use for those unfamiliar to the area.
In addtion, ADECA provides a trail guide that includes maps and guides for every trail in the state. The 150-page, full-color guide can also be downloaded online for free at www.auburnalabama.org/parks.com.
The trail guide also includes a stamp for every trail in the program, along with a booklet to record and save each stamp.
Log onto www.ADECA.Alabama.gov/passporttoFitness.com to find where to get stamps for each trail.
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