Colorado Springs, CO

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Trails

Description: Innovations in Aging Collaborative focuses on issues affecting the growing older population in the Pikes Peak area. As part of that focus, IIAC hoped to promote healthy recreational activity and reduce high rates of health problems, such as diabetes. Partnering with local organizations, including the YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region, Bike Colorado Springs and AARP Colorado, IIAC activated areas around the Sand Creek Trail. This included hosting community creek clean-ups, as well as a mural project involving a local artist and students. Since the activation, the City of Colorado Springs has continued to make improvements to the Sand Creek Trail.

Cheyenne, WY

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Trails

Description: The Children's Museum of Cheyenne's new building sits on the Greater Cheyenne Greenway, an accessible pedestrian and bike path. Ahead of the museum's grand opening, staff hoped to create a reason for visitors to stop and enjoy the museum's outdoor space. To make the museum campus welcoming for people of all ages and abilities, they installed ADA-accessible benches, along with a little free library. Organizers say the museum -- indoor and out -- will give grandparents the opportunity to spend time with grandchildren. In addition to intergenerational offerings, the museum hopes to offer activities for older adults in the future.

Coos County, NH

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Trails

Description: The Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail is an 83-mile bicycle route that runs between Woodsville, N.H to Bethel, Maine. Stitched together from existing rail trails, dirt roads, and paved backroads, the route winds though scenic river valleys and around the slopes of the White Mountains. To make the route more welcoming to people of all ages and abilities, this project installed benches. Project organizers chose two ADA-accessible sections of the path for the new seating -- the Presidential Rail Trail and the Pondicherry National Wildlife Refuge. They enlisted the help of two llamas to haul lumber to several scenic spots, then volunteers worked to put the benches together onsite.