Bermuda Skyport has been announced as the new lead sponsors of the former Telford Electric Magic Mile, now rebranded as the Skyport Magic Mile, ensuring the preservation of the ever-popular event’s future.

The event, organised by the Bermuda Pacers Track Club and sanctioned by the Bermuda National Athletics Association, will stage its 24th race on Saturday, February 23, at the National Stadium, featuring up to 1,000 young people aged four to 15 years old participating in their respective age groups.

The purpose of the Skyport Magic Mile is to promote, ignite and capture the interest of running in children, and to allow the island’s schools to showcase their athletes while enabling the Bermuda Pacers Track Club to identify and work with those promising youngsters who want to compete further in track and field.

Cal Simons, head coach of the Bermuda Pacers Track Club, hailed the significance of securing new sponsorship for an event that has always been a key fixture of Bermuda’s sporting calender, as well as its importance not only to the club, but to the community and the nation’s young athletes as well.

“On behalf of the Bermuda Pacers Track Club, I would like to thank Telford Electric for their 23 years of support for this wonderful event,” he said. “I would also like to thank Skyport for their willingness to take it on and become our lead sponsor. This is an event that Bermuda’s youth look forward to every year and we are thrilled to continue it for the 24th year.

“Gaining this sponsorship is extremely important. This is an event that serves as a major fundraiser for the club itself and also serves as an opportunity for the club to do some recruiting.

“You have children running from a large range of ages and so we are able to look at some athletes and get them involved in the club, which is so important for the future.

“Running is majorly important in many sports and so if we can get children and parents involved from early on then we can build relationships. That includes with all the schools and the communities and this helps us to build on those key relationships.

“Our goal is get children involved in track and field to be physically healthy, but also to offer them opportunities away from Bermuda to compete at a high level elsewhere.

“This event is one where the entire community come out and support it. For us this sponsorship give us the chance to give back to the schools and community, which is majorly important for us.”

Aaron Adderley, president of Bermuda Skyport, reiterated the importance of safeguarding the event’s future as well revealing that the organisation will also be offering additional funds towards the club’s scholarship fund to help further promote the significance of education.

“We are pleased to be the new sponsors of this incredible event that has excited Bermuda’s young athletes for more than two decades,” he said.

“Skyport focuses on investing in Bermuda’s youth through education, sports and the arts. The Skyport Magic Mile is a great vehicle to reach our young people and we are proud to sponsor the race.

“When the Pacers approached us we didn’t think twice about getting involved. We have agreed to a long-term commitment to offer stability to a great event. Without sponsorship that wasn’t the case and we didn’t want it at risk.

“The Magic Mile just made perfect sense for us because we know so many kids look forward to the event, the numbers of competitors and supporters are just phenomenal. It is a family event and so from a corporate point of view what better initiative to align yourself with.

“I think it’s a fantastic event to encourage young people to maybe get out, get active and more importantly feel good.

“We’ve committed additional funds over and above of sponsorship of the event, and we requested that the additional funds go towards the club’s scholarship fund. We are firm believers in education and so with the scholarship programme it creates a perfect partnership between sport and education.”

Registration for the Skyport Magic Mile is now open. Entry forms are available at Sportseller in Washington Mall or on www.racedayworld.com. The entry fee is $10 and must be paid by February 16. Cheques are payable to Bermuda Pacers Track Club. Late entries are $15 from February 18 to 19 and no entries will be accepted on race day. Race numbers are to be collected between 8:30am and 11am at National Sports Track.