Tickets are selling well for the first Sports Bermuda Magazine Awards, to be held at the Ruth Seaton James Auditorium, tomorrow at 6.30pm.

Mark “Burger” Jennings is behind the awards, which he hopes to make an annual event, with some 68 former athletes from 30 sports being recognised for their accomplishments.

“I’m very excited about this, when you go to Cup Match you see a lot of the former players and it’s real exciting, a great atmosphere and that’s what I want,” Jennings said. “The response has been very positive.”

Earl “Townsey” Russell, who was to be one of the former footballers to be recognised, will not attending as he is in hospital. “It is people like him and so many others who deserve to be recognised, and they haven’t asked for it either,” Jennings added.

“There are many people out there like that and I’m just glad we are able to put together something like this on a tight budget.”

Calvin “Bummy’ Symonds, an outstanding cricketer and footballer, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, while Donald Dane, a former principal, football coach and Bermuda Football Association president, will get the Dudley Eve Sports Administration Award.

Charles Marshall, also a former BFA president and longtime football referee, will receive the WF “Chummy” Hayward Award, while the Humanitarian Award will be presented to Jim Butterfield, a former top Ironman triathlete.

Butterfield is also a main supporter of the event as his company, Butterfield and Vallis, is a major sponsor. Other sponsors include Island Construction Services, Medical House, Central Diagnostics Laboratory, Mr Chicken, the Pro Shop and John Barritt and Son Ltd.

Also among those being recognised are Debbie Jones-Hunter and Brian Wellman, who are known for sprinting and triple jump; Ed Sherlock and Debbie Butterfield, former multiple winners of the Bermuda Day Half Marathon Derby and Bruce Sims, David Lambert and Donna Bradshaw who made their marks on the tennis court.

Winston “JR” Jones, a former cricketer commentator and coach of the Big Blue Machine softball team, will be honoured in that sport along with Ellen-Kate Horton, a member of the successful women’s team.

The five cricketers to be honoured are Noel Gibbons, Eldon Raynor, Alfred “Fleas” Hall, John Stovell and Leroy “Tubby” Richardson, while cycling will have John “Buddy” Ford and Greg Hopkins. The four footballers being recognised are Russell, Glenn “Gappa” Wade, Randy Horton and Gary Darrell.

Joe Brown, a former sports reporter and commentator, and comedian Earlwin “Bootsie” Wolffe will host the awards. Doors open at 5.30.