Tampa Y.E.S. initiative will receive $25,000 grant made possible by Florida Beverage Association, American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America (ABFHA).

PHOTO: (from left) Tristan Brown of Coca-Cola Beverages Florida (CCBF), Elizabeth DeWitt of Florida Beverage Association, April Taylor (CCBF), Erin Black (CCBF), Travis Warren (CCBF).

TAMPA, Fla., March 13, 2024 – The Florida Beverage Association today announced a $25,000 grant will be awarded to The Skills Center in Tampa, Fla., to help support their Tampa Youth Engaged in Sports (Tampa Y.E.S.) program.

Tampa Y.E.S. provides programming focused on wellness, physical activities, sports, nutrition education and meal preparation for middle school-aged girls in the Tampa area. The program’s overall goal is to help young people in the community develop life-long healthy practices.

“We’re proud to work with the Florida Beverage Association in helping The Skills Center create positive change for Tampa’s young people,” said Kevin Keane, president and CEO of American Beverage and president of the ABFHA Board of Directors. “These initiatives empower kids for success in school and in a community that our beverage companies have been involved in for generations."

“The Florida Beverage Association is honored to award The Skills Center with a community grant to help fund their sports-based youth development program,” said Elizabeth DeWitt, president and CEO of the Florida Beverage Association. “This program will make a real impact on the community, particularly on nutrition, health and physical activity."

“We appreciate the Florida Beverage Association and the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America for supporting our middle school girls’ physical, mental and social health,” said Celeste Roberts, president and CEO and co-founder of The Skills Center.

This investment is part of the Florida Beverage Association’s long commitment to promoting the health and sustainability of Florida’s communities. Grants from the Florida Beverage Association total more than $270,900 in committed funding for environmental or health-focused initiatives.

About the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America

The American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America seeks to make a significant contribution to the health of local communities by providing grants to support community organizations that work to advance both the physical health of their local citizens and the environmental health of their communities. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) created and funded by America’s non-alcoholic beverage industry and is a reflection of the industry’s long-standing tradition of giving back to communities. Learn more at www.beveragefoundation.org.

About the U.S. Conference of Mayors

The United States Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are nearly 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Learn more at www.usmayors.org.

About the Florida Beverage Association

The Florida Beverage Association is the state trade association of non-alcoholic beverage producers, marketers, bottlers, and distributors. Our companies make and sell some of the most popular non-alcoholic beverages, including regular and diet soft drinks, bottled water and water beverages, 100 percent juice and juice drinks, isotonic drinks, kombuchas, energy drinks and ready-to-drink teas. Visit flabev.org for more information.