La Union, NM

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: An abandoned baseball field turned walking trail lacked lighting, leaving older adults feeling unsafe after dark and limiting outdoor activity. Volunteers installed 12 solar lights along the trail and added desert landscaping with crushed rock, seating rocks and metal art near the community center. Outreach included flyers and social media to showcase improvements. Lighting now enables evening walks and community events, boosting safety and camaraderie. Residents expressed pride in the beautified space, and plans include murals and benches. One participant said, "Out here, lights are very essential because it is pitch black... We need to feel safe."

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

Foley, AL

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: Organizers thought Foley Park -- a small green space next to a middle school -- had untapped potential. Foley Main Street and the City of Foley transformed the park into a local music destination. Redubbing the space Freenotes Harmony Park, Foley Main Street installed a collection of outdoor musical instruments, including contrabass chimes, an orange swirl, a yellow imbraimba and rainbow drums. The instruments are designed to be easy to play -- similar to a xylophone, the imbarimba has 22 fiberglass keys of varying lengths, which sit atop metal chimes. Visitors can play the instrument by striking the keys with the attached mallets. The instruments weren't the only upgrade to the pocket park. The City also assed an amphitheater with lights, power outlets and an ADA-compliant stage. Since their installation, the instruments have created an outdoor classroom for middle school students on weekdays, as well as a gathering place for residents of all ages on evenings and weekends.

Pass Christian, MS

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: Pass Christian lacked dedicated pickleball courts despite growing interest among older adults. To meet demand, the city built two full-size courts with benches and fencing in War Memorial Park, marking their opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Lighting for evening play will follow. The courts offer a new recreational option that promotes balance and social connection, and plans include leagues and tournaments to engage residents of all ages. "We are so glad that we will not have to travel out of town anymore to play pickleball now that the city has two new courts to play on!" said one resident.

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