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Baltimore, MD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: This project helped prepare the ground for Rachael Wilson Memorial Park, named in honor of Maryland's first woman firefighter to be killed in the line of duty. To clear room for park amenities, Bon Secours Community Works removed two sections of concrete foundation, left over from the foundations of abandoned homes that once sat on the site. Project organizers also planted 30 trees. The new greenspace is the result of a grassroots effort by two longtime West Baltimore residents and advocates. Today, the park features new playground equipment and a mural painted by a local artist, which pays tribute to Rachael Wilson.
Corning, AR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: To encourage people of all ages and abilities to walk, this project added ADA-accessible benches along Wynn Park's walking path, as well as at the Clay County Courthouse.
Sacramento, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: This pop-up placemaking project will transform a parking lot into an outdoor plaza. Volunteers will install accessible benches to accommodate older adults attending planned events in the space.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
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.
Holy Cross, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: This project will renovate the tennis court and add two pickleball courts with ADA access and portable benches. This will improve health and provide diverse recreational amenities for residents, especially those age 50 and over.
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