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A long-term focus on customer and employee health was the impetus behind Hy-Vee’s inaugural triathlon in 2007 and continues to drive the company’s involvement today.

CEO Ric Jurgens took an interest in triathlon when he manned the bicycle leg for a  local relay team in 2005. He envisioned the sport’s answer to The Masters golf tournament when he and now-president Randy Edeker first discussed a company-sponsored event that would set a competitive standard for weekend warriors and world-class athletes alike while it raised money for Variety—The Children’s Charity in Iowa.

It didn’t take long for Hy-Vee’s triathlon to not only meet but surpass Jurgens’ early expectations.

The first Hy-Vee ITU World Cup Triathlon in downtown Des Moines—one of only four U.S. cities to host a prestigious world cup event at the time—offered  the sport’s richest-ever purses and put Iowa squarely on the international multi-sport map. The elite triathlon and its amateur companion event drew more than 2,000 athletes, 10,000 spectators and raised $250,000 for charity. It helped showcase the Des Moines area to participants from 40 states and 25 countries, and pumped more than $2 million into the local economy. 

The 2008 edition carried the distinction of being the final United States qualifier for the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Flooding forced organizers to move the event to West Des Moines, where it found a permanent home that was met with rave reviews by fans and athletes. By 2009, the Hy-Vee Triathlon was in full stride. Appropriately, the men’s elite race produced a thrilling, five-way sprint to the finish that ended with Canadian Simon Whitfield's perfectly timed lean, worth $200,000.

The Hy-Vee Triathlon has quickly established itself as one of the premier athletic events in the state, and it has raised $750,000 for Variety headed into this year’s event, June 12-13 at West Des Moines’ Raccoon River Park.

The triathlon has also put an exclamation point on Hy-Vee’s ongoing effort to promote good health and nutrition though a wider selection of organic foods, trained dietitians to help consumers with menu planning, health fairs, sponsorship of the Live Healthy Iowa 100-day wellness challenge, and numerous other internal and community initiatives.

“The world-class Hy-Vee Triathlon is one more example of Hy-Vee’s commitment to providing family-oriented community events while promoting fitness and encouraging healthy lifestyles,”  Variety’s executive director, Sheri McMichael, says.

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About West Des Moines

Population

• West Des Moines population: 54,726
• Greater metropolitan area population: 500,000
• Des Moines population: 204,687
• Downtown Des Moines population: 8,298
• One-fourth of Iowa's population resides in central Iowa

Climate

• Average summer temperature: 75º F
• Average annual rainfall: 34 inches

Industry

Major industries in West Des Moines include:

• Finance
• Insurance
• Real Estate
• Education
• Health Services
• Social Services

West Des Moines' medical campus serves as the hub for nearly every option available in medical care, including the Lakeview Surgery Center, Orthopedic Surgery Center, Iowa Heart Center, Wolfe Eye Clinic and the Iowa Clinic West Lakes Campus which houses various medical specialties in one location. Currently under construction in West Des Moines is Iowa Health's $118-million hospital and Mercy Medical Center's $100-million facility.

Employment

The West Des Moines workforce consists of more than 53,000 people.

Largest employers in West Des Moines:

• Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
• West Des Moines Community Schools
• Wells Fargo Card Services
• FBL Financial Group Inc. (Farm Bureau)
• Iowa Foundation for Medical Care
• Krause Gentle Corporation
• Hy-Vee, Inc.