Officials with Hy-Vee Inc. today announced that PepsiCo and General Motor’s HUMMER division will be the presenting sponsors for the first Hy-Vee ITU World Cup Triathlon to be held this summer in Des Moines.

Signing on as the venue sponsors of the triathlon’s three sports are Kellogg’s (swimming), Unilever (biking) and Hormel (running).

General Mills, Dole, Coca-Cola and Kraft round out the top tier of sponsors. In all, 33 companies have partnered with Hy-Vee at various levels of participation to produce the over $1.5 million event.

Momentum for the Hy-Vee ITU World Cup Triathlon began building immediately after the announcement last spring that Des Moines would join the ranks of leading cities of the world when it hosts the first Hy-Vee ITU World Cup Triathlon in June. At a total purse of $700,000, the Des Moines event will be the richest ever on the elite triathlon circuit.

As the $250,000 presenting sponsors, PepsiCo and HUMMER will be involved in a variety of activities leading up to and throughout the June 16-17 weekend.

In addition to a $200,000 first-place prize to the winners in the men’s and women’s divisions, each champion will be awarded an H3 HUMMER, a vehicle as bold and adventurous as the competitive spirit of triathletes.

HUMMER officials say the company represents a philosophy of “giving what it takes to become the best, and that is why HUMMER is proud to team up with the   Hy-Vee Triathlon.”

As part of its participation, PepsiCo will bring its Pepsi Stage/JumboTron to Des Moines. The giant screen-and-stage setup has been featured at numerous Super Bowls, the NBA All Star game and the Summer X Games. It will be positioned in the heart of downtown Des Moines.