Now more than ever, the work our nation’s mayors are doing to advance healthy communities is critically important.

The Foundation and the American Beverage Association (ABA) have a long history of working with The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) to support programs that address childhood obesity, environmental health and sustainability by encouraging community members to engage in healthier behaviors. Since the beginning of this partnership in 2012, USCM and the Foundation, with the support of ABA, have awarded 84 cities across the country with grants worth more than $7 million. 

At the USCM 93rd Winter Meeting, $745,000 in grants were awarded to nine cities. Below are the nine U.S. cities and programs who received 2025 grant awards:

Large City:

• 1st Place: Fort Wayne, Ind., and the Plant, Pick & Plate program
• 2nd Place: Portland, Ore., and the Peace Memorial Park Revitalization project
• 3rd Place: New Orleans, La., and the New Orleans' Maternal and Child Health programs

Medium City:

• 1st Place: Akron, Ohio, and the Mobile Market
• 2nd Place: Savannah, Ga., and the Mayor on the Move: Health Savannah Kids Club
• 3rd Place: Bridgeport, Conn., and the City Fresh program

Small City:

• 1st Place: Chapel Hill, N.C., and the Wheels of Wellness program
• 2nd Place: Lima, Ohio and the Youth Pedal Bicycle Club
• 3rd Place: Issaquah, Wash., and the Clean Cooking for Healthy Homes Induction Cooktop Incentive Program

 

Learn more about each of the winning programs here and about the history of the grant program here.