Meet John (great name by the way).
For a decade I have been staying at the iconic Davenport Hotel in downtown Spokane as I travel with the LMU basketball team. And each year a wonderful man has welcomed us in his classic top hat and red uniform. So I decided to grab the camera and see if I could get to know him. And he took me on a great adventure.
He has been working at the Davenport for 64 years. Yes. 64. Since 1953. He started as a graveyard bell hop (his favorite role by the way). He has done everything at the hotel. He worked the casino that use to be there. He was part of a group of people that cared for the historic building while it was closed from the mid-1980s until it reopened in 2001. He organized weddings. Coordinated special events. And now, serving as the most welcoming doorman.
He has met Burt Reynolds, Steve McQueen and Betty White, to name just a few. He loves his hat. He couldn’t think of doing anything else. It gets him out of the house. Oh, he’s 84.
He clearly is the face of this historic hotel as countless guests greeted him by name, fellow co-workers said hellos through hugs, and guests knew they were welcomed. He works four days a week, Thursday through Sunday from 7:30 to 3:30 pm. So if you want to feel welcomed, maybe get a good hug, then you know where to go.
It is people that make life the big adventure it is. I am so glad I got to get to know him through my lens and hear his story. Check out this Davenport Icon.
Categories: Noteworthy Shoots
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