Chess Table Playground Ribbon-Cutting on Friday, November 22
KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steve Noble and the Office of Health and Wellness are pleased to announce a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly installed chess “playground” at T.R. Gallo Park on Friday, November 22, 2019 at 3:30pm.
The City of Kingston was awarded $11,224 from the AARP Community Challenge in July 2019 to build a chess playground, which includes two chess tables, four benches, and a monthly chess meetup, to be built in a park or public space. The City held a public poll for feedback on the best location to install the chess tables. Ninety four people responded and T.R. Gallo Park won with 40% of the votes. The tables have been installed between the T.R. Gallo monument and the bathrooms. Monthly chess programming will be developed and announced in the spring.
The City of Kingston is one of 159 winners out of 1,660 applicants to the AARP Community Challenge. The AARP Community Challenge grant program is part of the nationwide AARP Livable Communities Initiative that helps communities become great places to live for residents of all ages.
“Thanks to AARP for the generous support that made this Chess Playground possible,” said Mayor Noble. “By investing in our public spaces, we create places that invite our residents to connect and build community. I’m very pleased that we have added another amenity to T.R. Gallo Park where people of all ages can meet for a game of chess or checkers.”
“The Age Well and Play Well focus teams of the Live Well Kingston Commission collaborated to envision seniors and people of all ages coming together to share a game of chess in our public park,” said Emily Flynn, Director of Health and Wellness. “This vision could not have been realized without the generous support of the Parks and Recreation and Public Works department staff who went above and beyond to make sure the location was well-assembled and aesthetically pleasing.”
About the Live Well Kingston Commission:
The Live Well Kingston Commission promotes the advancement of a healthy and active community by bringing partners and residents together to facilitate policy, environmental and systems changes. This is done with the five Focus Teams or subcommittees: Eat Well, Play Well, Travel Well, Heal Well, and Age Well.
