Diplomats will stay in Aiken for Trials

Those attending the Aiken Trials this weekend may get the chance to meet some unlikely guests - Washington, D.C.-based diplomats from such countries as Austria, Fiji, Finland, Madagascar, Malta, Uganda, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and more.

Donna Ritter, a part-time resident of Aiken and Washington, D.C., is coordinating the weekend experience for the diplomats and their spouses through The Hospitality and Information Services (THIS) organization in Washington, D.C. She recently got involved as a volunteer.

While in Aiken, the guests also will have lunch at The Willcox, get a tour of Aiken and visit the Aiken County Historical Museum and Dogwood Stables. They'll eat barbecue at the home of Ritter and her husband, Martin, and even take shag lessons at the museum.

Pete Frommer, the Aiken Department of Public Safety chief, will serve breakfast for the guests Saturday morning.

"The informal motto for THIS is 'Winning the peace a handshake at a time,'" Ritter said. "We meld volunteers with international diplomats who are assigned to D.C., usually for two to five years."

The services provided the ambassadors, attaches and other diplomats include excursions to other cities. Surprisingly, no trips had ever included the South, Ritter said.

When the idea emerged, the diplomats were delighted about the opportunity and actually postponed a visit to Chicago to come to Aiken.

Now they'll get to see the best part of the South's culture, citizens and cuisine, Ritter said.

When she and her husband visited Aiken for the first time to attend the Trials 15 years ago, they almost immediately started searching for a house.

"It's heartwarming for me that they're coming to our little southern town," Ritter said. "I can see why they're excited. Aiken may be similar to their own hometowns. Not everybody is from a big city."

She expressed her appreciation for the overwhelming support from the families hosting the diplomats, as well as the Aiken Rotary Club, the Aiken Sunrise Rotary Club, Frommer, Glenn Parker, Barbara Gassman, Cot Campbell and Betty and Greg Ryberg. Lyn Kenney of the Aiken Rotary Club has directed efforts to obtain host families.

"I have lived in New Zealand and Japan," she said. "This is a great way to introduce the visitors to the South and to Southern hospitality."

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.