Leadership Park City Class 31 is part of a year-long program that equips participants with leadership skills and community connections to drive local impact. For the class project, the group chose to create “Belonging Benches” — a physical and symbolic effort to bring people together.
Class member Susan Odell says the idea was born from a shared desire to promote inclusiveness and connection.
“We were looking for a project that would really embody those principles,” Odell said on the KPCW “Local News Hour” Wednesday [Aug. 27]. “We just came up with the thought that we really want our community to get out and meet each other. We want our neighbors to talk to each other, to feel that people belong here, and these benches were a really good physical representation of what we were trying to get to.”
Classmate Polly Choque-Mendoza says the benches carry personal meaning, especially for those new to the area.
“These benches particularly mean a lot to me, because moving here a few years ago, I wasn't sure if this was the city for me, if I belonged here,” Choque-Mendoza said. “I realized belonging is a lot more about being who you are and then creating that environment. And so being able to create a place that I know can have a lot of meaning for a lot of people, anywhere, anywhere across our city.”
The benches are repurposed chairs from the former Sunrise chairlift at Canyons Village, donated by Vail Resorts’ Epic Promise. They’ve been painted bright blue with orange-lettered signs in English and Spanish identifying them as “Belonging Benches.”
So far, one bench will be placed at the base of Park City Mountain Village and another in Canyons Village. The class is still looking for homes for the others.
Three more chairs may become available through Park City Municipal — if the group can find enough sponsors to fund their refurbishment. Sponsorship levels range from $250 to $1,500. Those interested can send an email to parkcitybelongingbenches@gmail.com.
