Nearly 60 Illinois Schools to Receive New Water Bottle-Filling Stations
Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation and Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation award 2025 H2O On the Go grants.
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (September 29, 2025) – Nearly 60 Illinois elementary, middle and high schools will receive new water bottle-filling stations through the H2O On the Go grant program. The initiative, created by Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation and Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation, encourages students to choose water more often. Each school that receives the grant will also be given toothbrushes and reusable water bottles for its students.
“H2O On the Go encourages a healthier lifestyle for Illinois students by encouraging them to drink water instead of sugary beverages,” says Lora Vitek, executive director of Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation. “And, our drinking fountains have fluoridated water, which strengthens teeth and reduces cavities.”
According to Delta Dental of Illinois’ 2025 State of Health report, parents pointed to sugary drinks as a major factor in their children’s oral health, with 21% flagging too much juice and 17% citing too much soda. A 2023 study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that increasing water accessibility for children had a direct correlation with improved hydration and overall health.1 In addition to the oral health benefits, drinking fluoridated water improves energy and concentration.
“Expanding access to fluoridated drinking water during the school day is an important opportunity to keep our children’s teeth healthy and strong,” says Heather Higgins Alderman, President & CEO of the Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation. “Since the program’s launch, we’ve helped bring clean drinking water to nearly 400 Illinois schools. In 2025 alone, the H2O On the Go program will reach over 23,000 students, helping to ensure better oral health and brighter futures for Illinois children.”
Aside from providing access to drinking water, the water bottle-filling stations are certified to reduce lead and other harmful contaminants, help reduce waste and promote conservation efforts.
See a full list of Illinois schools selected for this year’s H2O On the Go program here: www.deltadentalil.com/h2o-on-the-go-recipients.
About Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation
The Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation was formed in March 2008 by Delta Dental of Illinois, a not-for-profit dental service corporation with a mission to improve the oral health of the communities it serves. Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation is the 501(c)(3) charitable arm of Delta Dental of Illinois and works to support and improve the oral health of people in Illinois. In the past decade, combined efforts of Delta Dental of Illinois and Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation have provided more than $32 million to programs and organizations in Illinois that improve the oral health of 1.2 million Illinois residents. For additional information, visit deltadentalil.com/ddilfoundation.
About Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation
Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation (ILCHF) has a single vision: Every child in Illinois grows up healthy. Working through grantee partners across the state, the Foundation focuses its grant making on identifying and funding solutions to the barriers that prevent children from accessing the ongoing health care they need. For more information, go to ilchf.org.
1 American Academy of Pediatrics, https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/doi/10.1542/peds.2022-060021/193271/Effectiveness-of-a-School-Drinking-Water-Promotion?autologincheck=redirected