Asheville, NC

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: After Buncombe County Recreation Services installed new instruments in Charles D. Owen Park -- including lily pad cymbals, a tenor tree, tuned drums and flower gongs -- park attendance increased nearly 20 percent in one year. The instruments, created by the Freenotes Harmony Park company, don't include sharps or flats and are designed to be played using arm and hand muscles rather than fingers. That way, people of all musical abilities can play them without training. More than 400 people also participated in three workshops focused on designing artistic tiles for the new space with themes of compassion, peace and diversity. The creation of the Real Possibilities musical garden sparked new projects, including the park's first TRACK Trail (self-guided, family-friendly outdoor adventures with prizes), enhanced sports courts and bird nest boxes that allow researchers to study tree swallows.

Hartford, CT

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: This project improved accessibility at Pope Park for older adults and people with disabilities. Project organizers installed ADA-compliant picnic tables with benches, designed to accommodate individuals using scooters or wheelchairs. The added amenities upgraded an area of the park with a play area and spray pool for small children. In this predominantly low-income neighborhood few homes have front or back yards, making Pope Park an important outdoor space for residents of all ages. Project organizers say the new seating highlighted a need for more accessible pathways in the park, which are now being designed.

Prineville, OR

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: When organizers with Crook County on the Move asked older adults what they would like to see in Ochoco Creek Park, they overwhelmingly asked for more places to sit along the park's 1.5-mile pathway. So to increase accessibility, the organization installed 12 park benches at 300 foot intervals along the walkway. Each bench has a 4-foot space surrounding it to accommodate wheelchair users and give people a space to park walkers and strollers. Organizers hope the benches inspire older adults and people with mobility challenges to visit the park and reap the benefits of outdoor exercise. Spurred by the success of this project, Crook County on the Move fundraised to install an additional 12 benches along the path. Organizers say they are now looking to install benches in other parks around Crook County.