“By our name, the Ambassadors, we do many things for the home folk, and it’s important for us to do that, but we are oftentimes the faces of Paducah and McCracken County for the visitors,” McElroy said. “I think people would be not only surprised, but maybe stunned, at how many tourists, not just on the boats, but bus tours, have already heard about the Ambassadors. Many of them have.” “We are the face, and thus, it becomes our responsibility to present as good a face as possible on Paducah. That’s our job, but what makes it easy is that many of the visitors have a curious nature to them.” McElroy said people who visit big cities, like Chicago or New Orleans, have already researched and mapped out their destinations, but for places like Paducah, they may not know about the locally owned downtown restaurants, museums, or interesting places to shop. The Ambassadors share their best tips and direct them to explore Paducah’s treasures. Mostly, though, the Ambassadors enjoy telling Paducah’s rich history and meeting interesting people. McElroy usually asks guests if they know of Alben Barkley, the vice president who called Paducah home, or author and humorist Irvin Cobb. When they don’t, he launches into his storyteller persona and spins fascinating yarns about Paducah’s history. Visitors come to Paducah on riverboats and bus tours, along with the American Quilter’s Society Quilt Show & Contest. Ask any Ambassador, and they’ll have a story about meeting people from Australia, Japan, France, or any of the 50 states. When visitors lack strong English language skills, Ambassadors like McElroy get creative. He likes to tell the story about Bossy the Cow, the famous cow pictured in National Geographic during the 1937 flood. McElroy’s resonant voice booms as he talks about how the family got the cow to the upper floor - a story he loves to share with visitors. Crivello recalled meeting a group of French tourists who had rented motorcycles and traveled from Chicago to Paducah. The group roared in on their Harleys, visited the riverfront, and exchanged pleasantries with several Ambassadors. That meeting happened only because Crivello and other Ambassadors arrived at the riverfront to greet a riverboat. On another day, he met anglers from an FLW championship bass tournament when they docked for a weigh-in at the same time a riverboat visited. Every Ambassador can share stories like these because of the characters they’ve met. These moments are not unique to Crivello; they are the fabric of the Ambassador experience. Every member can recount similar encounters, fueled by the characters they meet. These encounters keep them involved and engaged with their community. 70 JULY 2026 | INTHEVUE.COM Coats, Red Rich Stories 1988 Year the Paducah Ambassadors were founded by former Mayor Gerry Montgomery. 170 Active volunteers currently serve as Paducah Ambassadors. 155,000 Total volunteer hours logged the organization began. 13,500 Volunteer hours recorded in the past fiscal year alone. 2 Members from the inaugural 1988 class remain active today. By the Numbers 20 Hours of volunteer service are required annually for each Ambassador.
