OAK PARK, Ill. – Representatives from American Beverage, with support from the Illinois Beverage Association and The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM), today joined leaders of the Cross Community Climate Collaborative (C4) for the presentation of a $125,000 environmental grant. Oak Park Village President Vicki Scaman, Village of River Forest President Cathy Adduci and Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson received the first-place award from the beverage industry’s 2023 Childhood Obesity Prevention & Environmental Health and Sustainability grant program at a meeting of the USCM.

“The leaders and communities of the Cross Community Climate Collaborative are rising to the challenge and addressing key climate, equity and sustainability issues," said Kevin Keane, interim president and chief executive officer of American Beverage. "Their impactful efforts will help create a better, more sustainable future.” 

“The Illinois Beverage Association is thrilled to support Cross Community Climate Collaborative in its effort to provide necessary resources to underserved communities here in Illinois,” said Brad Harden, president of the Illinois Beverage Association. “We congratulate the collaborative and the winning cities and applaud their work to advance environmental health and sustainability initiatives.”

“The C4 initiative is an exemplar of the power Mayors have to engage diverse stakeholders in crafting innovative responses to environmental justice concerns,” said Tom Cochran, CEO and executive director of The United States Conference of Mayors. “This is the vital work that Mayors in cities across the country do every day. We’re proud to support the C4 partnership and look forward sharing the lessons it has to teach us with other communities across America.”

"C4 works across municipal borders to promote environmental justice and create programs designed to more strategically reduce greenhouse gas emissions for all of our communities, with a true focus on listening to and supporting our young people as future leaders in energy efficiency and sustainability,” said Vicki Scaman, president of Oak Park Village. “The small city Childhood Obesity Prevention & Environmental Health and Sustainability award provided to C4 by the American Beverage Association and the U.S. Conference of Mayors has been instrumental in advancing that work and will be celebrated at GreenTown with our young people leading the way.”

"As a smaller suburb, River Forest relies on intergovernmental partnerships to share ideas and resources. The impacts of climate change are not limited to municipal boundary lines, and we need to create a collective response to tackle this immense challenge," said Cathy Adduci, president of River Forest.

“The Cross Community Climate Collaborative partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will help create new green energy employment opportunities for low-income Broadview residents by enhancing solar energy access in the residential commercial, municipal and institutional sectors of our community,” said Katrina Thompson, mayor of Broadview. “In addition to the economic opportunity, Black, Indigenous, and other people of color will reap the health benefits of a reduced carbon-emitting environment in Broadview.”

The Cross Community Climate Collaborative is a partnership between 15 communities and several local nonprofits that have committed to work together to reduce emissions and achieve equity and sustainability outcomes, with a specific focus on engaging and supporting communities of color and other under-resourced populations. 

Oak Park is one of eight communities that received a grant from USCM and American Beverage, through its foundation the American Beverage for a Healthy America, as part of the 2023 Childhood Obesity Prevention & Environmental Health and Sustainability Awards. This public-private partnership, now entering its second decade, supports programs for enhancing health, wellness and environmental quality of life for children and families. 

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