Strong leadership creates strong communities. Whether it’s creating programs to ensure families have access to food or helping those in need during times of hardship, mayors across the country are working every day to make our communities safer and healthier. 

Like that of mayors, America’s beverage companies have deep roots in cities and towns across the country.  Katherine Lugar, president and CEO of the American Beverage Association and president of the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America (ABFHA) Board of Directors states:

"America’s beverage companies believe strongly in the power of industry and government coming together to improve the environmental health and well-being of the communities which we serve.  Now, more than ever, the work our nation’s mayors are doing to help foster healthy communities is critically important.”

This is why, America’s beverage industry is proud of its decade long partnership with the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) to advance better way solutions.

Together, through the Childhood Obesity Prevention and Environmental Health and Sustainability Awards, USCM and ABFHA have jointly awarded more than $5 million to more than 60 cities across the country.  These grants are awarded to mayors to support innovative programs that enhance the health, wellness and environmental quality of life for children and families. 

We are honored to celebrate this year’s first place award winners:

• Large City: Denver, Colorado - Mayor Michael Hancock’s Food Matters: Solutions for Food Waste Reduction program seeks to address food insecurity and environmental sustainability. 
• Medium City: Des Moines, Iowa - Mayor Frank Cownie’s Polk County Produce Prescription Program will allow food-insecure children with diet-related diseases and their families access to free fruits and vegetables. 
• Small City: White Plains, New York - Mayor Thomas Roach’s Peer Advocates for Healthy Living (PAHL) initiative will provide high school students with training focused on nutrition and healthy living.

Congratulations to all the recipients of this year’s Childhood Obesity Prevention and Environmental Health and Sustainability Awards!  

You can learn more about all of the Childhood Obesity Prevention and Environmental Health and Sustainability Awards winners here.