Falcon Heights, MN

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: The Philando Castile Peace Garden Committee prepared the site of its planned memorial garden honoring Falcon Heights resident Philando Castile, who was killed by police in 2016. The Committee completed surveys of the property, conducted soil testing and created renderings of the planned garden. They created mockups of a fence designed to feature community art, as well as a remembrance bench. The Committee also hosted community work days, where volunteers prepared the soil and planted greenery. In the months since, the Committee has continued to raise private donations for the garden's creation and long-term upkeep. They recently completed accessible pathways, the remembrance bench and art at the site. Located at the site of the 2016 shooting, the garden is designed to give visitors a space to collective reflect, explore solutions to combat violence and foster community agency.

Wilton Manors, FL

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: Coral Gardens Park was underused and unsafe after dark, leaving older residents without a pleasant outdoor space for socializing. The association installed landscape lighting, planted ferns, built a Little Free Library and erected a new park sign. The park was renamed Lieber Park through a community vote and celebrated with a block party. The upgrades transformed the park into a welcoming space used more frequently, including at night. Residents praised the improvements, saying, "It's not a dark park anymore!" The project sparked plans for art installations and regular social events to keep the park active.

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

Spearfish, SD

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: Many older adults living in east Spearfish wanted nearby places to walk or ride that felt manageable and safe, but existing trail options were often too far away or too challenging to reach from home. Spearfish Trails Coalition addressed this gap by building a new trail system that directly connects nearby neighborhoods to Lookout Mountain Park, creating beginner-friendly routes suitable for walking and cycling. The trails were designed to accommodate a wide range of abilities and brought residents together through volunteer trail days and a community ribbon-cutting event. Several older adults shared that the new routes prompted them to return to biking or walking after giving it up because other trails felt too difficult. By linking neighborhoods to open space, the project expanded everyday access to outdoor activity and established a lasting, close-to-home recreation option for older adults.

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