By Isabel Hamilton
Journalism Intern
New this year for the 150th Chautauqua season, the Lakeside Ambassador Program aims to share the spirit of Lakeside both in and outside the gates, welcoming new guests with friendly faces and ensuring longtime Lakesiders feel even more at home.
Comprised of around 40 volunteers with varying stories and connections to Lakeside, the Ambassadors work to enhance the Lakeside experience in four main ways:
- Lakeside Homeowner Ambassadors help keep new and current homeowners updated with the goings-on of Lakeside and invite them to get involved.
- Social Ambassadors share Lakeside with their virtual community.
- Outreach Ambassadors share Lakeside with their communities and groups outside Lakeside.
- Hospitality Ambassadors work inside the gates, engaging and building relationships with guests and helping them make the most of their Lakeside experience.
Regardless of how this year’s Ambassadors engage with the community, they are united by their love for Lakeside, whether they’re here for a few weeks each summer or all year.
For many Ambassadors, this love has been passed down through generations and countless summers spent in this special place. For others, drawn to Lakeside through friends, family or programming, the connection is more recent but no less strong.
“There is nothing that I don’t love about Lakeside,” wrote Ambassador Nancy Dickinson about why she chose to join the program. “All these years later, I still exhale and leave the world behind when I drive through those gates.”
Whether you see them walking on the lakefront, sitting on the Hotel Lakeside porch or handing out brochures before weekend entertainment at Hoover Auditorium, be sure to say hello to our Lakeside Ambassadors. Don’t forget to ask them about their connection to Lakeside and thank them for the time they’ve devoted to this beloved community.
It’s not too late to be a Lakeside Ambassador this season. If you want to share the spirit of Lakeside here or outside the gates, contact Allyson Lane at [email protected]. For more information, visitlakesideohio.com/lakeside-ambassador.
