AIG will sponsor this year’s Bermuda Pacers 10th Schools Relay Classic, scheduled for next Friday at the National Sports Centre.

Yesterday AIG chief executive officer Brian McNamara presented a cheque for $11,000 to Bermuda Pacers officials Karen Tucker and Calvin Simons.

“We’re very proud to sponsor the Pacers Track Club 10th schools relay, we feel it’s a very, very good event that promotes not just athletics but develops youth and build confidence and leadership,” said McNamara who noted that AIG has been in Bermuda for 70 years. “We’re incredibly happy to support this event.”

Tucker, Bermuda Pacers treasurer, expressed gratitude to AIG on behalf of the club.

“On behalf of the executives of the Bermuda Pacers Track Club, as well as the membership, we are deeply appreciative of the sponsorship from AIG,” she said. “It is very fitting, and symbolic, that we’ve been able to come together as a team for the relay classic which is a team event. In a relay you have individuals coming together to give strong performances and you have that here today in two long established organisations, AIG, which has been in insurance here for 70 years, and the Bermuda Pacers, who have been in existence for 35 years, developing young people in athletics.

“We’ve been able to come together for the School Relay Classic. We’re excited, we’re looking forward to the event and we hope Bermuda comes out to support our young people. Again, we say thank you to AIG.”

The Pacers will mark their 10th anniversary by bringing in a team from Canada, the Flying Angels, to compete in the girls high school category. “We’ve been trying to do this for some time, making contact with many clubs in the States and Canada to try to get them here,” said Simons, the club’s head coach.

“Hopefully they’ll take their experiences here back to Canada and next year it can get bigger and better. We have all the senior secondary schools who have registered already, at least five or six middle schools confirmed and 12 to 14 primary schools. We will also have corporate teams.

“The middle and high schools can put in two teams so the lanes should be full. We’re hoping for a good night.”