AARP Grant Will Brighten Mayodan Tunnel and Prepare a Future Connection to Washington Mills Park

MAYODAN, N.C.: The Town of Mayodan, in partnership with the Rockingham County Arts Council and Rockingham County Economic Development and Tourism (Visit RoCo), has received a $10,000 AARP Community Challenge grant to transform a dark pedestrian tunnel near the Madison Mayodan Recreation Center into a safer, brighter, and more welcoming public passage.

The AARP Community Challenge supports tangible community improvements that can spark long-term change. The grant program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports efforts by cities, towns, neighborhoods, and rural communities to become better places to live for people of all ages. More information is available at AARP.org/Livable.

The Mayodan project will add solar-powered motion-sensor lighting, clean and power wash the tunnel, and create a professionally designed and painted mural celebrating local history.

The project builds on an initial cleaning of the tunnel completed in 2025 by SERVPRO of Rockingham County. The Town and its project partners appreciate SERVPRO’s early support in improving the site.

Construction of Washington Mills Park has not yet begun. The tunnel project is a separate public improvement that will prepare an important pedestrian connection as planning continues for the future park, trails, and Mayo River access.

“This is a practical investment in a space that is part of Mayodan’s history,” said Melody Shuler, Mayodan Town Manager. “The project will make the tunnel safer and more inviting while helping establish a strong connection to the future Washington Mills Park.”

The Rockingham County Arts Council will coordinate the mural through its public mural initiative, which supports the development of public murals across Rockingham County. RCAC will work with a professional muralist to lead community input meetings, develop the final design, and organize opportunities for residents to participate in painting the mural.

RCAC is the designated Grassroots Arts Program partner for Rockingham County through the North Carolina Arts Council.

Residents will be invited to share local memories, photographs, history, and ideas that may help shape the mural. The Town and Arts Council will host two community input meetings, with particular outreach to residents age 50 and older. Community volunteers will also have opportunities to paint alongside the professional muralist.

“This project represents the kind of initiative Visit RoCo aims to champion,” said Lindsay Pegg, Rockingham County Tourism Manager. “It encourages residents and visitors to explore the distinctive places, stories, and history that define Rockingham County.”

The tunnel project is scheduled for completion by December 15, 2026. The Town will announce community input meetings, volunteer painting opportunities, and a public ribbon-cutting celebration through its website and social media channels.

For more information, contact:

Melody Shuler
Town Manager
Town of Mayodan
336-427-0241
mshuler@mayodannc.org

Front row, from left: Denise Hicks, Senior Center Coordinator, Madison Mayodan Recreation Center; Janis Herring, Madison Mayodan Senior Center member; Amy Swisher, Grants and Marketing Coordinator, Madison Mayodan Recreation Center; and Melody Shuler, Town Manager, Town of Mayodan. Back row, from left: Wanda Shelton, Madison Mayodan Senior Center member; Lee Mitchell, Director, Madison Mayodan Recreation Center; Lindsay Pegg, Tourism Manager, Rockingham County Economic Development and Tourism; and Jennifer Edwards, Executive Director, Rockingham County Arts Council.

NEW Batting Cage at Jake Atkinson Ball Park!!

Made possible by a North Carolina Community Foundation grant & donations from Qualtiy Site Soultions & Connie Barnes, in memory of Guy Barnes.

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