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Town of Wheatland (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Park enhancements
└ Park enhancements
As fewer and fewer residents took up the game, the horseshoe pits in Lewis Park went largely unused. The Town of Wheatland hoped to turn the pits into a more useful space fitting residents' modern tastes. So the Town converted them into pickleball courts. The Town staff worked with volunteers to clear and resurface the space, then install nets, posts, and fencing. To raise money for further improvements -- including seating for spectators -- the Town hosted a fundraising charity onsite. Project organizers say the new courts give people of all ages an option for outdoor exercise. Pickleball is popular with older adults since the fast-paced game is low impact and easy on joints.
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Cosmopolis, WA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Highland Park had fallen into disrepair, leaving older adults without a safe place to gather or exercise. The project transformed the park with paved walkways and parking, a covered communal area with ADA ramps, and new benches and picnic tables. It added an accessible playground, fitness stations and a pickleball/basketball court designed for all ages. The revitalized park now hosts events that foster connection. One longtime resident said, "I just love this park... I have never seen so many people using it."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Fort Wayne, IN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Park enhancements
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Los Angeles, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: The 35,000 inhabitants of Los Angeles' Westlake/MacArthur Park community live within a 10-minute walk of Golden Age Park, and a third of those residents live in poverty. Working with city agencies and local senior centers, the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust wanted to beautify the small park and provide a space for gardening and gathering. New picnic tables, a barbecue pit, tool shed and plantings transformed the park into an inviting center for recreation. Since the improvements, the City has footed the bill for continued maintenance. A mural to enliven the site is now in the works.
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Laramie, WY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Community Gardens
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Laramie, WY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
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Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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