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That didn't take long...the Ironman organization, the one that sponsors the Ironman competition on the Big Island, announced a couple of days ago that they had contracted with a vendor for an Ironman brand of coffee and that the beans were going to be of Guatemalan origin that would be sold under the "Ironman" logo.
The immediate thing that came to mind was, if the event was being held on the Big Island, in Kona of all places, why wouldn't Ironman want to sell coffee from Kona?
The answer came today, when Ironman announced that they were not going to be selling their coffee at the Hawai'i event after all. Since the Ironman competition in Kona is only one of several such competitions sponsored by the organization, they issued an apology to the Kona coffee growers and pulled all their Ironman coffee promos out of Hawai'i, in deference to the Kona coffee growers.
Miulang
The immediate thing that came to mind was, if the event was being held on the Big Island, in Kona of all places, why wouldn't Ironman want to sell coffee from Kona?
The answer came today, when Ironman announced that they were not going to be selling their coffee at the Hawai'i event after all. Since the Ironman competition in Kona is only one of several such competitions sponsored by the organization, they issued an apology to the Kona coffee growers and pulled all their Ironman coffee promos out of Hawai'i, in deference to the Kona coffee growers.
In advertisements taken out locally, organizers said their promotion of the Guatemalan product in an area that produces coffee that's world famous was a lapse in judgment. The race organizers earlier this month announced the introduction of an organic coffee line sold under the Ironman name that would be served and sold during the Kona competition.
"We truly hope that you are able to forgive us for our mistake," the organization said in the advertisements. Ironman said it was "deeply sorry for its introduction of the M-Dot branded coffee."
The promotion of the product in Kona upset coffee growers, who said it was a mistake for Ironman organizers to promote the coffee at the Hawai'i event. The Ironman Triathlon birthplace was O'ahu, but moved to Kona in 1981 from where the sport blossomed into a worldwide movement. Ironman organizers rely on hundreds of volunteers from Kona each year to stage the race.
"Our lapse in judgment was not malicious," the Ironman organization, a Tarpon Springs, Fla.-based corporation, said in its advertisement.
"In goodwill, Ironman has removed its branded coffee from local retail locations and will cease related promotional activities."
"We truly hope that you are able to forgive us for our mistake," the organization said in the advertisements. Ironman said it was "deeply sorry for its introduction of the M-Dot branded coffee."
The promotion of the product in Kona upset coffee growers, who said it was a mistake for Ironman organizers to promote the coffee at the Hawai'i event. The Ironman Triathlon birthplace was O'ahu, but moved to Kona in 1981 from where the sport blossomed into a worldwide movement. Ironman organizers rely on hundreds of volunteers from Kona each year to stage the race.
"Our lapse in judgment was not malicious," the Ironman organization, a Tarpon Springs, Fla.-based corporation, said in its advertisement.
"In goodwill, Ironman has removed its branded coffee from local retail locations and will cease related promotional activities."
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