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Grand Junction Parks and Recreation (2020) Print
2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Park enhancements
└ Park enhancements
Grand Junction Parks and Recreation created a strength training circuit along a walking path in Sherwood Park. To achieve this, GJPR installed four pieces of equipment for working out leg, arm and core muscles, including a rowing machine, sit up and pull up station and leg press. The park once housed similar fitness equipment, but GJCR had to remove it in the mid-nineties due to rot. Today, many residents of the surrounding neighborhoods are 50 and older, and the new equipment gives them an option for a cardio workout and strength training. The fitness stations are available to the public seven days a week and those interested can register for free instruction on how to use them.
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See More Projects Like This One
Flint, MI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: To make the Footbridge Park Plaza safer and more inviting, the Carriage Town Neighborhood Association added benches, trash receptacles and a dog clean-up station to the space. They also upgraded lighting, allowing visitors to more safely use the plaza at night. Many Carriage Town residents use the footbridge to walk to and from Flint's downtown. After the improvements, project organizers polled locals and found 80 percent said they were more likely to use the plaza. Neighbors have since begun work on a second plaza nearby.
Reno, NV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: This project will enhance a park and community garden with shuffleboard and cornhole games, bocce ball courts and benches. The activation will create a safe gathering space, located near schools, older adult housing and tribal communities.
Charleston, SC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Hampstead Square is Charleston's oldest public green space. But the square had fallen into disrepair after years of neglect, made worse by flooding. Keep Charleston Beautiful partnered with the City of Charleston to launch a multi-year park revitalization, part of broader work to bring greenspace to the community. They installed an irrigation system and updated landscaping. To give nearby residents free internet access, they also set up a Wi-Fi hotspot. Volunteers -- including community members and local businessowners -- helped complete the work and chip in additional funding. Inspired by the progress, organizers later added a new historic marker and statue of famed Charleston blacksmith Philip Simmons, which inform visitors about the park's legacy. Since the improvements, the space has hosted health and fitness activities, youth programs and free outdoor movie screenings.
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Grand Junction, CO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: Mesa County public library staff had repurposed a lot next to the central library building into a discovery garden for residents of all ages to enjoy. This project made accessibility upgrades to the downtown Grand Junction space. First, mulch covering the site made maneuvering difficult for people with mobility challenges. To make pathways in the garden ADA-compliant, volunteers replaced the mulch with decomposed granite. They also added benches adorned with nature scenes to beautify the garden and give visitors a place to sit. Each bench has a unique design theme: mineral, plant, animal and water. Project organizers say the improvements have made the garden more inviting and accessible for visitors.
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