72 JULY 2026 | INTHEVUE.COM Coats, Red Rich Stories “So, every Ambassador comes with different gifts, right?” Worden said. “You’ve seen storytelling. We have another guy who’s a historian, and he’s a fanatic about history, dates, numbers, and places. I’m the genealogist. If it’s around a river, we go to John…so we’ve got this whole camaraderie of specialists, and all we do is share it together. The Ambassadors get all the credit, the Red Coats, and they (visitors) walk away thinking, ‘Boy, wasn’t that group something special.’ This deliberate, team-oriented hospitality is precisely why repeat visitors have begun seeking out the Ambassadors by name.” Repeat visitors often look for the Ambassadors. “I was one of the greeters, and this little old lady was walking up and got to the top, and she says, ‘Oh, I’m back in Paducah,’” Worden recalled. “She said, ‘This is my sixth time here.’ Six times, and she told us the reason she came back was for Kirchhoff’s and the Red Coats.” Other visitors say they want to take a piece of that Paducah hospitality back home and replicate it. They fall in love with the idea of a friendly group of volunteers telling their community’s history and projecting a positive image. Ambassadors must volunteer 20 hours a year. For some like McElroy, Worden, Chumbler, and Crivello, those hours tally quickly. On a recent summer day, McElroy wore his red jacket, black pants, white shirt, and a bow tie in anticipation of a bus tour rolling into town. As always, he seemed ready with his stories about his adopted hometown. Earlier that week, many of them had worked the ribbon cutting at the renovated Ray Black & Sons, and they planned to hand out programs at a Paducah Chiefs baseball game. Yet, these public-facing events are only half the story. Beyond the service provided to the city, the true value of the Red Coats is the lifeline it extends to the volunteers themselves. While the Ambassadors work hard to shine for the city of Paducah, they also embrace new members and provide a sense of camaraderie. With many of the members in their “golden years”, this organization allows them a chance to socialize and never meet a stranger. In all honesty, age is merely a number. “If we’re going to be featured with the Golden Age (a feature in this magazine), remember that gold is precious,” Worden said. “And there’s a shine, and we do, we shine for the city of Paducah, and we have a lot of precious individuals with a lot of history and heritage. For anyone who’s interested in joining the Ambassadors, applications are available at the front desk of City Hall, where their office is located. Or email [email protected]. Worden even laughs that he has applications available at all times in his car. He handed out four in one day. McElroy chimes in that he’s serious. “If you have an interest, then that’s what we’re looking for,” Worden said. “That’s what we’re looking for, people who have an interest. When we tell them that we’re promoting the image of the city of Paducah, it’s not about us, it’s about the city of Paducah. So, if you find somebody who’s falling in love with Paducah, that’s the pitch that sells itself.” Current Chairman Donnie Chumbler and Chair-Elect Jim McElroy
