I feel like I was stabbed in the back by Ben Fletcher and the board of directors for the Lewiston-Auburn Triple Crown 5K when they decided to stop offering bottled water to the race participants. My employer, Poland Spring, has been involved with that race for a number of years, proudly donating water to the runners.

I wish the Triple Crown 5K board would have communicated their change in plans to Poland Spring in advance. They did not even give my company a chance to address their recycling and sustainability concerns. We are their neighbors and don’t deserve that type of treatment.

People are fortunate to have good tap water in Lewiston-Auburn, but not every place is as fortunate. Food and Water Watch, who the race partnered with this year, is not going to share stories that highlight how Poland Spring is helping the people in communities such as Hyannis, Mass., meet their water needs. Poland Spring water in bottles was distributed to the Hyannis residents so they could have a safe water source during the past few weeks.

As an employee, I am proud to work for a company that provides communities clean water and supports events in Auburn, across Maine and elsewhere.

I would ask the board to reconsider working with their neighbors. By providing a local health and wellness event platform for an out-of- state organization that ignores our core beliefs is disturbing and grandstanding.

Alan McKinney, Auburn, regional transportation supervisor, Poland Spring Water