Chess in Public Parks(New Orleans)

Chess in Public Parks Story and Photo from NOLA.com Bonnabel_high_school_alumnus

'...Chess Communité, an organization recently founded by Mauricio Sierra, a New Orleans native and former Kenner resident, and Shelly Florman, a Bywater resident, plans to donate custom-built chess tables to several parks in the New Orleans area and possibly surrounding areas such as Jefferson Parish.

Photo-Mauricio Sierra visits Alcee Fortier park to point out some of the few public chess tables that exist in New Orleans.


Sierra, a Loyola law school senior and Bonnabel High alumnus, decided to create the organization after traveling to New York and seeing the diversity that public chess tables can create, he said.
"We hope to create a space that will give people a way to engage in a peaceful, non-violent manner," Sierra said. "Chess is a game that transcends culture. It doesn't matter what nationality, creed or color you are."

Chess Communité seeks to raise $10,000 to hire local artists that can design and build the chess tables which will remain as permanent fixtures in the parks.(more)'