By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE Atlanta Hawks cheerleaders have arrived in Grand Bahama for their annual calendar photo shoot. The group of 13 women from the NBA franchise will be on the island for four days and 12 more will arrive tomorrow.

Brooke Boxderger, the Hawks cheerleaders’ captain who has been with the club for three years, said the calendars are popular and that they autograph them for fans after games. Last year the cheerleaders went to Mexico to shoot the calendar and the group travels with a beauty team of hairstylists, make-up artists, photographers and other staff.

Carmel Churchill, director of marketing services at the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board, said that having the Hawks cheerleaders will give the island some exposure to the Atlanta market and boost the demand for the flight service with Delta.

“This is very important because Atlanta Hawks has a substantial reach in the Atlanta market where their email database for the newsletter is well over 30,000, and these are high-end network individuals that they are able to market to. So partnering with them allows us to be presented to that particular audience, which will bode well for GB.”

Mrs Churchill said that other cheerleader groups have travelled to Grand Bahama, including those from the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens. She suggested that Gold Rock Beach in East Grand Bahama is an ideal location for the photo shoot.

According to Ms Boxderger, the girls keep themselves physically fit and hydrated by exercising and drinking lots of water. “We are expecting sunny weather, nice sandy beaches, great pictures and have some fun in the sun – it’s like a business vacation, which is really exciting for us,” she said.