Nominated by a visitor from Maryland, Gladys Madeiros has been named the second quarter winner of the Visitor Industry Partnership (VIP) Sunshine Award.

The quarterly programme, sponsored by the Bermuda Tourism Board, is designed to highlight a Bermuda resident who has gone ‘above and beyond’ to make a visitor’s stay in Bermuda ‘one to remember’.

Encouraged to nominate a resident, Ms Madeiros who was nominated by Ms Randi Stirn of Maryland.

Highlighting her Bermuda experience Ms Stirn said she had “the very good fortune of being assigned to seat 20 E” on her Bermuda bound flight to Bermuda out of Baltimore.

“I was greeted with a smile and a sunny hello from the stranger next to me, who I soon learned to be Ms Madeiros.

“Over the course of two hour plane ride, this vivacious, energetic ray of sunshine told me all about her native country,” she said.

“A born and bred Bermudian, this woman proudly shared her knowledge of her homeland, openly and honestly. Gladys informed me of where to visit, where to eat, sites not to be missed and places only the locals know about.

“In mid sentence, she interrupted, ‘why don’t I take you around myself? I’m free this Thursday and Saturday, just give me a call!’.”

The Bermuda vacation she would experience unfolded from there. Ms Madeiros gave the visitor who was not used to “this kind of unprovoked hospitality, warmth and friendship”, ended up submitting her nomination for the Bermudian who showed her and her family a “beautiful Bermudian day”.

“We began the day with a golf cart ride and tour around Tuckers Point. She offered us freshly baked banana bread and ginger beer and we continued our tour down the southern coast of Bermuda, down the roads ‘the buses can’t take you’,” said Ms Stirn.

“We paid a visit to the lighthouse and took in the amazing view, ate a delicious traditional fish cake sandwich on raisin bread with bananas and avocados and finished the day with a stunning walk from Long Bay all the way to Horseshoe Bay, stopping at each cove to take a dip in the prestige aqua blue water and bury our feet in the Bermuda’s pink sandy beaches.

“This woman was truly divine. Without reservation, she opened up her entire day just to show us a good time.

“Even more striking, she opened her heart and home to us, treating us not like tourists, but like family.

“I have never experienced hospitality and love like this from a stranger. Gladys made our vacation truly memorable and is the reason that we will surely return to this beautiful country. Gladys is a true ray of sunshine and a blessing to the lives she touches.”

VIP Chairwoman Dr Barbara O’Shaughnessy thanked the award recipient for “making the Stirn family’s Bermuda holiday such a special memory and for spreading some wonderful Bermuda Sunshine!’.

Ms Madeiros received a VIP Sunshine Award Pin and a congratulatory lunch at the Victoria Grill compliments of the Island Restaurant Group, with Executive Director of the Bermuda Hotel Association, John Harvey, JP Martens, General Manager of Grotto Bay and Dr. O’Shaughnessy.

She will also be to a hotel stay at the beautiful Grotto Bay Beach Hotel, complete with dinner and breakfast, compliments of Mr. Martens.

“It is people like this quarter’s winner, Ms Madeiros, who make Bermuda a very special place for residents and visitors alike,” said Mr Martens.

Tourism Minister Shawn Crockwell said: “Ms Madeiros is a shining example of how we should treat our visitors — with our famous Bermudian friendliness and hospitality.

“I offer my thanks to her for showing one of our visitors why Bermuda is so much more, and congratulations on being named the Sunshine Award winner.”

And head of the Tourism Appreciation committee, Joanne McPhee said: “The Sunshine Awards exemplify what it is that makes Bermuda ‘so much more’. With over 50 nominations in this quarter alone it is clear that there are already many ambassadors in our community demonstrating one smile and act of kindness at a time what it is to be Bermudian and truly so much more.

“The aim of the morepinkbda movement is to ensure that this is once again the norm and not the exception.”