The Ohio Beverage Association, in partnership with the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America, has been active in the distribution of community grants across the state. Recent programs that the Ohio Beverage Association has helped to fund are the Columbus Recreation & Parks Foundation adaptive youth sports program, and the Youngstown CityScape recycling program.
The Youngstown CityScape recycling program grant was awarded in 2018, to aid with the implementation of recycling bins in the city’s downtown area, on Front Street and Federal Street. The project spanned from development in 2019 to implementation in 2022. Bins have been placed in Downtown Youngstown and have helped raise the recycling rate of visitors. The recycling is collected by the Youngstown State University Recycling Program and processed at the facilities on the university’s campus. Projects like this increase recycling, especially of our 100% recyclable PET bottles.
In 2021, the Ohio Beverage Association in partnership with the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America awarded a $25,000 grant to the Columbus Recreation & Parks Foundation. The grant was used to expand the adaptive youth sports program including the formation of the Columbus Knights, a youth wheelchair basketball team. After the team completed their first season this past spring, they became official members of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association in the Juniors Division! This will allow them to take part in national tournaments where they will compete with teams from all over the country.