Wichita Neighborhood Receives AARP Grant to Improve Grandparents Park

Wichita’s Sunnyside Neighborhood Association will receive a 2021 livable community grant from AARP Kansas to make improvements to the Grandparents Park located at Kellogg and Estelle. Sunnyside will implement a quick-action project to add picnic tables and landscaping to the park which was developed in 2013 by Sunnyside, the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging, the City of Wichita and AARP Kansas.

“We are incredibly proud to once again collaborate with the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association as they work to make continued improvements to the Grandparents Park,” shared AARP Kansas Volunteer State President Judy Bellome. “Our goal at AARP Kansas is to support the efforts of our communities to be great places for people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities.”

“We are so pleased to receive this AARP grant to help make our Grandparents Park even better,” said Janie Gleason Osterhout, vice-president of the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association. “It’s so beneficial to our neighborhood and our community to have this gathering space for a variety of activities that keep us engaged and connected to each other.”

The Grandparents Park is easily accessible from all parts of the neighborhood by foot, bicycle, stroller or car. In addition to being a place for free play, relaxation and exercise, the park is used for organized special events and activities, such as ice cream socials, food truck festivals and walking programs.

The AARP Kansas grant is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for people of all ages.