The Cullman Regional Foundation presented Cullman EMS with a donated ambulance. The Foundation Gala raises funds to purchase needed items for the hospital.

Just in time for National EMS Week, the Cullman Regional Foundation presented Cullman EMS (Emergency Medical Services) with a new ambulance Friday afternoon.

Cullman EMS Paramedic Supervisor Mike McCurley said the new ambulance will be replacing one of the agency’s units that was getting too old. 

“We really appreciate it so much,” he said of the donation. “It couldn’t have come at a better time for us.”

Cullman Regional Foundation President Jerry Lawson said the Foundation has several ongoing projects running throughout the year, but the ambulance was chosen as the designated project to focus the Foundation’s efforts toward for the past year.

With funds raised through the Foundation’s annual gala and golf tournament — which each netted around $80,000 in contributions from the community — it covered the $150,000 price tag to make the purchase for Cullman EMS, he said.

This year’s gala was set for this spring but had to be rescheduled due to COVID-19, but many people and businesses had already made their donations and allowed the Foundation to keep their contribution, Lawson said.

“Almost everyone said keep the donation,” he said.

The Cullman Regional Foundation’s mission is to advance healthcare excellence at the hospital, and support from community members is what makes this kind of donation possible, said Foundation Executive Director Maria Stanford.

“We wouldn’t be able to do this without all of our donors and the philanthropic community,” she said. “With everyone’s help, this was able to happen.”

Lawson said there are many hospitals in the state and region that are shrinking or being forced to close altogether, but Cullman Regional is bucking that trend and continues to grow year after year.

“A big reason is because the community supports it and loves it,” he said. “They don’t treat it like some big corporation, they treat it like a family, and that’s a big benefit for the community.”