AARP Breaks Ground on New Fitness Park in Hagerstown, to Commemorate 60th Anniversary
OCTOBER 18, 2019 —AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond joined Washington County officials today to break ground on a new fitness park outside of the Washington County Commission on Aging in Hagerstown. The site at East Franklin and Willard Streets is the 11th of 53 AARP-sponsored outdoor fitness parks planned around the country to commemorate the organization’s 60th anniversary.
AARP is working with FitLot ™, a 501c3 organization dedicated to helping communities find the resources they need to plan, build and program outdoor fitness parks, to construct over a dozen of the parks in 2019. Each park will include FitLot exercise equipment that can be adapted to meet a wide range of fitness levels and abilities.
These parks represent AARP’s commitment to supporting the health and well-being of older adults as well as their families, friends and neighbors of all ages. Here in Hagerstown, we are proud to partner with local leaders and organizations to advance the terrific work that they are doing around healthy living. Our hope is that this park will become a focal point for area residents who want to stay active and fit.
The groundbreaking ceremony included: AARP Maryland State Director Hank Greenberg and AARP Maryland State President James Campbell; Washington County Commission President Jeff Cline, County Commissioners Randy Wagner, Wayne Keefer and Cort Meinelschmidt; Washington County Commission on Aging CEO Amy Olack and Washington County Commission on Aging Board President Bill Beard; Washington County Public Works Director Andrew Eshleman; and FitLot Co-Founder and Executive Director Adam Mejerson, along with several AARP Maryland volunteers and community members.
“Washington County is excited to partner with the Commission on Aging and AARP to bring this amenity to our citizens that will provide a great opportunity for outdoor exercise,” said Mr. Eshleman.
"This partnership enables us to support the health and wellbeing of our community. We are eager to provide this new fitness opportunity to our members,” said Ms. Olack.
The FitLot is just the latest project AARP has undertaken in Washington County to help residents aged 50-plus and their families to live their best lives. Last December AARP Maryland signed onto the One for Good initiative, a private-public partnership that seeks to improve overall health outcomes in the City of Hagerstown through outreach and education. In November, AARP Maryland is hosting a Veteran’s Resource Fair and free screening of the movie Last Flag Flying. Plans are currently underway for installation of an AARP-backed intergenerational garden at a site adjacent to the FitLot.
The next outdoor fitness park sponsored by AARP will open later this month in New Orleans, with more than a dozen parks planned for 2019 in locations across the country.
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About AARP
AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.
