S.F. coffee company donates to troops

Starbucks buckles

By KELLY NIX
The Salinas Californian

A Bay Area coffee company is donating 2,500 pounds of coffee to troops in Iraq after learning about a Salinas woman who was unable to get coffee giant Starbucks to donate the java.

In a Salinas Californian news article Saturday, Lucy Vega said Starbucks Coffee turned her down when she requested they send her brother Marine Lance Cpl. Adrian Jimenez, 19, and his battalion some coffee.

"I heard about it on KCBS (radio), and I said, 'Come on Starbucks, for crying out loud,'" said Jon Rogers, president of San Francisco Bay Coffee Company.

So Rogers called Vega and said the company would donate to her brother's battalion.

Meanwhile, Starbucks announced Tuesday it is donating 50,000 pounds of coffee to troops in Iraq in cooperation with the American Red Cross.

"I'm sure it was the result of the negative publicity they received from the story," said Jim Rogers, vice president of San Francisco Bay Coffee.

Starbucks didn't return three phone messages left Wednesday.

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