Cutler Bay, FL

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: To encourage residents to exercise and socialize with one another, the Town of Cutler Bay added accessible exercise equipment - with a shade canopy to keep visitors cool -- to Cutler Ridge Park. Although Hurricane Irma damaged the park during installation, the new equipment now gives older adults the opportunity to improve their balance, strength, flexibility, range of motion and coordination. Project organizers say many older adults visit the park with their children and using the new fitness machines, which resemble playground equipment, can feel more like playing than exercising. Since the project's completion. the Town has installed similar fitness equipment at two other local parks.

Milwaukee, WI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: Mujeres con Poder addressed barriers that made Kozy Park difficult to use for everyday activities, especially for older adults who needed places to rest and feel safe staying longer. Limited seating and unclear safety information meant some residents shortened visits or avoided the park, despite its role as a neighborhood gathering space. The project added benches and safety and wellness signage and paired these upgrades with community walks and planning sessions centered on resident input. The changes had an immediate effect. One grandmother shared that a bench near the playground now allows her to bring her grandson more often because she can sit in the shade while he plays. Together, these improvements supported more consistent park use and strengthened ongoing collaboration around safety and reducing isolation for older adults.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

St. Thomas, VI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: Hurricanes left many parks in disrepair, and intense heat made outdoor spaces uncomfortable for older adults. The project built a durable shade structure with two ADA-compliant picnic tables near a playground, skate and bike park and open field, creating a cooler, welcoming spot for all ages. Volunteers also repaired a ballpark dugout and extended a concrete slab to improve accessibility. Families now use the shaded area for gatherings, and older adults enjoy a safe place to connect while watching activities. Built to withstand harsh island conditions, the structure will serve the community for decades.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.