Airport volunteers recognized for services

Tour guides and ambassadors at John Wayne Airport were recognized from among a pool of 20,000 county volunteers for winning the county’s Excellence in Volunteerism Award.

The award is given for outstanding service by volunteers at public agencies.

The tour guide and ambassador programs at John Wayne were instituted about 20 years ago to help make the airport a friendlier place by having designated volunteers help passengers get directions and flight information, and leading them through the terminal.

Now about a dozen volunteers work as tour guides, and about 60 serve as ambassadors contributing a collective 8,500 hours annually.

— Alan Blank