Passing Multiple Customer Variables in Product Description

[Rhapsody]

I have modified the product.tpl file so that certain customer parameters are passed.  I can successfully output the variable and do a string replacement.  There are a few customer variables including some new ones I've added to the customer table.  I have verified that the variables are being passed via an override to the productcontroller.php.

 

I have created custom variables in the product description that include a format as ##firstname##, ##lastname##, etc.  My goal is to replace these hashtag annotated variables with the actual data stored in the customer table.  My product.tpl file has the following that successfully performs a string replacement on the first variable.

		{if $firstname}
			<div id="idTab1" class="rte">{str_replace('##firstname##', {$firstname}, $product->description)}</div>
		{else}
		<div id="idTab1" class="rte">{str_replace('mid=##firstname##', {$firstname}, $product->description)}</div>
		{/if}

If I try follow on statements to replace additional variables, only the first variable is replaced, and the output displays the first variable properly, followed by ##variable2##, ##variable3##, ...  This is the code I am using:

{* added firstname in string replacement here *}
		{if $firstname}
			<div id="idTab1" class="rte">{str_replace('##firstname##', {$firstname}, $product->description)}</div>
		{else}
		<div id="idTab1" class="rte">{str_replace('mid=##firstname##', {$firstname}, $product->description)}</div>
		{/if}
{* added lastname in string replacement here *}
		{if $lastname}
			<div id="idTab1" class="rte">{str_replace('##lastname##', {$lastname}, $product->description)}</div>
		{else}
		<div id="idTab1" class="rte">{str_replace('mid=##lastname##', {$lastname}, $product->description)}</div>
		{/if}
{* added yachtclub in string replacement here *}
		{if $yachtclub}
			<div id="idTab1" class="rte">{str_replace('##yachtclub##', {$yachtclub}, $product->description)}</div>
		{else}
		<div id="idTab1" class="rte">{str_replace('mid=##yachtclub##', {$yachtclub}, $product->description)}</div>
		{/if}

How do I make the string replacement so it works for all variables, not just the 1st one?