REMEMBER YOUR HEROES! Remember their work, remember the sacrifices they made.

That was the clear message yesterday from Minister of Culture Steve Blackett on the eve of National Heroes Day.

"As we go forward as Barbadians, we must not lose sight of the rich legacy these pioneers have bequeathed," Blackett said in a special Heroes Day dedication.

"We must strive to emulate their work in every sphere of productive endeavour and national life," the minister added.

Blackett also urged Barbadians to collectively take heed of their actions.

"We must seek, as citizens, to bring our collective minds to bear on our actions, so that together we create an ethos that reflects the true spirit of our heroes, and so do credit to their names and memory."

He added that excellence should remain the watchword for Bajans, and be the "guiding principle that permeates our every word, thought and deed. In short, it must be the quintessence and the hallmark which drive our very existence," the minister added.

He said the decision to name ten Barbadians as National Heroes, though done by the previous Barbados Labour Party administration, was a noteworthy one which clearly indicated a unified national recognition of the persons who made significant contributions to what Barbados was today. (BA)