AARP Hearing Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
American Legion John White Post 650 (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Park enhancements
└ Park enhancements
Tower Park lacked a dedicated space to honor veterans and connect residents, and steep terrain limited access for older adults. The Legion installed a six-foot granite monument, two flagpoles and landscaping. It was unveiled during a Memorial Day ceremony that drew many community members. The project improved accessibility with terraced seating and ADA-compliant paths and inspired plans for benches and a statue. The Mayor called the effort "a collaboration of many groups and a perfect example of serving and using our gifts to honor the memory of those who fought for us and our freedom."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Photo Gallery
Image:
Click on a photo to learn more
See More Projects Like This One
Randolph, VT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: To give residents the opportunity to express themselves and connect with each other, Sunrise Rotary Club installed outdoor musical instruments near the town's recreational field. The new Harmony Park features chimes, drums, a xylophone, Imbarimbas and a harp. The Club also added benches to the space, along with a welcome sign informing visitors about the instruments.
Cascade, MT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: The Town of Cascade created an accessible picnic area in North Railroad Park, within walking distance of many local amenities. Town staff poured a concrete pad for the site, where they installed a walled seating area with two ADA-compliant picnic tables and a new flagpole. The local garden club lent a hand by filling at the site planters with flowers. Each year, the Town evaluates the accessibility of the projects it undertakes, and town leaders are committed to providing gathering spaces where residents of all abilities can gather.
Villisca, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Villisca residents have few nearby recreation options, and older adults in particular needed accessible activities that encourage movement and connection with younger family members. The Villisca Community Betterment Association revitalized the local walking trail and added 20 StoryWalk frames, creating an interactive reading path that supports physical activity and literacy. Volunteers age 50-plus led most of the work, completing trail repairs, landscaping 17 areas and restoring the bridge. The project strengthened community engagement and created a long-term asset that invites repeated visits. One family was moved to restore a memorial to their daughter and attended the ribbon cutting with relatives, showing how the upgraded trail renewed pride in the shared space.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Holy Cross, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: In a very rural community with no nearby recreation options, many older adults lacked a free, low-impact way to stay active without traveling long distances. The Committee led a volunteer-driven renovation of an aging tennis court and added accessible pickleball courts with seating. Residents worked side by side to complete the project, turning construction days into a shared community effort. The courts were used daily once completed, with volunteers seeing grandparents playing pickleball with grandchildren and visitors being directed to the courts by family members. By creating a no-cost activity close to home, the project encouraged regular movement, strengthened social ties and reestablished the park as a central gathering place older adults can rely on.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Dyersville, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Public space improvements to support recovery after extreme weather events
Description: As part of an efforts to recover from a flood, this project created a community plaza and amphitheater in Dyersville. The green space links to a walking and biking trail, which is connected to the city's downtown riverwalk. To make the new plaza accessible, project organizers added diagonal parking, made accessibility upgrades to crosswalks, created new sidewalks and built a stage and canopy onsite. Today the site hosts a market, concerts and movie nights. It is also a venue for Beyond the Game events -- a gathering marking Dyersville's baseball history as the site of the Field of Dreams.
LEARN MORE AND STAY INFORMED
Find articles and resources about making communities more livable for people of all ages
Download or order free publications from AARP Livable Communities
Sign up for the free, weekly, award-winning AARP Livable Communities eNewsletter
Don't see your community listed?
LEARN HOW IT CAN JOIN THE NETWORKConnect with your AARP State Office
AARP has offices in all 50 states as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
AARP Iowa State Office
600 E. Court Avenue
Suite 100
Des Moines, IA 50309
United States