Sport Awards Honour Legends Of Sports
Ruth Season James Center for Performing Awards drew many of Bermuda’s legends of sporting history to receive accolades and appreciation for their contributions to sport during the first instalment of the Sport Bermuda Magazine Awards.
With several Cabinet Ministers in attendance, including Home Affairs Minister Walter Roban, Minister of Transport and Tourism Zane DeSilva, and Minster Lovitta Foggo, who has sports as a segment of her portfolio, some 30 categories of sport disciplines and more than 70 recipients were announced on the night.
Former cricketing great Calvin [Bummy] Symonds, one-time lead referee and Bermuda Football Association president Charles Marshall, educator and coach Donald [Dick] Dane and Bermuda’s first Iron-man triathlete Jim Butterfield were the top four honourees on the night, each receiving glistening, specialised wooden plaques after videos of hem being interviewed by legendary sportscaster Joe. L. Brown.
Brown acted as the MC for the night, while comedian Bootsie hosted and offered a rousing rendition of Frank Sinatra’s fabled hit recording ‘My Way’ in tribute to Symonds, who authored an autobiographical book of the same name. Bermuda Idol winner Olivia Hamilton also performed a pitch-perfect covers of their own towards the end of the night.
“The numbers were not quite what we might have hoped but this first outing was successful in achieving that which sports generally do, which is to bring people of varied demographic together where fellowship under a common banner takes place and lifelong friendships are often created,” said Mark [Burger] Jennings, who put on the event that saw each of the participants receive gleaming, solid, engraved, crystal, block trophies from him on stage.
“Our mission is to promote sport, the camaraderie it encourages and the entertainment and fun in achievement it brings and this event does that.
“We had here a mixture of people indicative of what we find among the local population without the often associated differences of culture, belief and manner, but rather sharing together in the loveliness and harmony common to sport and recreational past-times.
“I am thankful to my team for their service in organising the event, but even more so I am thankful to the legends who helped instil in myself and many others a passion for sport and the life lessons it presents and preserves.”
Organisers hope to make the ceremony an annual affair on the local sporting calendar.
