At the start of this year’s Police Week celebrations, on 1st October 2024, the BPS launched a new series of “Legends and Superstars” cards which follow in the tradition of our first Police Superstar cards launched in 1986 which were hugely popular with children.
The new series are of exceptional quality, honouring a total of 44 Bermuda sports “Legends” of the past, and present “Superstars”, which have generously been sponsored by the Hamilton Princess Hotel & Beach Club, and its ownership, the Bermudian Green Family.
The launch took place at the Flora Duffy Stadium at Prospect where two of the recipients, Jessica Lewis, 3 times ParaPan American Games gold medal winner, and boxer Nikki Bascome, were present when Commissioner of Police, Darrin Simons officially launched the new series.
Also speaking at the Opening were Kim Swan, the Junior Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, along with the administrator of the Bermuda School Sports Federation, Manny Faria.
CLICK HERE for a report on the launch in the Royal Gazette.
CLICK HERE for a report on the launch on BERNEWS.
For the first time this series will include athletes with disabilities and Jessica Lewis, who has now competed at four Special Olympics was delighted to be among such illustrious company.“It’s awesome, an incredible idea and I’m so fortunate that they asked me to be a part of it,” Ms. Lewis said.
As with the original Superstar cards, this series is intended to highlight the accomplishments of Bermuda’s most talented sportsmen and sportswomen who have set a positive example and inspiration to children and young people,
It’s no coincidence that Mr. Andrew Green, who was present at the launch, vividly recalled collecting the first set of Superstar cards as a young schoolboy, and it was he who approached the BPS about the possibility of creating a new series of cards, and mentioned the possibility that the Hamilton Princess and his family would be willing to be sponsors.
Photographer Ernest "Ernie" McCreight
An outstanding feature of the first Superstar cards (1986) was the brilliant photographs of each athlete, all of which were taken by then Police photographer, Sgt. Ernie McCreight. The first series consisted of 20 Superstar cards of Bermuda’s most outstanding sportsmen and sportswomen who were chosen not only for their oustanding sporting abilities but also for their sportsmanship and positive personalities. The second series, published in 1987, featured 28 Junior Superstars from a wide variety of sports, and again, Ernie McCreight took all the photos of each athlete in their sports kit, and where feasible with a suitable background. CLICK HERE to read Ernie's life story in our "Then and Now" column.
There’s no question that the exceptionally high quality of Ernie’s photos greatly contributed to the success of our Police Superstar cards.
I’m sure that almost everyone in Bermuda will have their own ideas as to who should be chosen as our present Superstars, and as our “Legends” of sports, but at this point the BPS is not disclosing the names of everyone who has been chosen. Chief Inspector Shakisha Minors explained that six new cards will be distributed each month and they will be made available from police officers on patrol, and when making school visits, and also at police stations. Here are the first six cards being issued:-
I was honoured to be asked to serve on the Committee for this new series, and my first recommendation to the Committee was to approach Ernie McCreight, who became a professional photographer after leaving the BPS, to see if he would be willing to volunteer to take all of the photos. I’m delighted that they did so, and that he accepted, and judging from the first set of photos, Ernie has again done an absolutely superb job.
I would like to offer congratulations to all those who have worked on this project. I have no doubt that they will prove to be a huge success, and I would venture to say that not only will they be popular with children and young people, but they will also have great appeal to adults and our seniors who will have fond memories of the exploits of those athletes who have been chosen as our “Legends”.