Volunteer work and exceptional performance at work: more than 3,300 people have been recognized

NOS News•today, 1:00 PM

TV presenter Yvon Jaspers, singers Berget Lewis and Tania Kross, investor Marcel Boekhoorn. These are some of the more well-known names among the 3,375 people who traditionally received a ribbon today, the day before King’s Day.

The story of Dries van Loenen from The Hague, who a few years ago wrote the thesis of his sister-in-law Koosje van Haeringen, violinist and teacher at the Hague Conservatory, is special.

She suffered from the fatal disease ALS and wanted to put her knowledge of violin teaching on paper in a thesis, but was no longer able to do so herself. Van Loenen wrote and presented the thesis under her direction, which was awarded a 10 and which has also been published as a book. Van Haeringen died two days after the presentation. Van Loenen becomes Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau.

The highest award awarded, Commander in the Order of Orange-Nassau, goes to former Japanese top official Kenzo Hiroki. He is regarded worldwide as an authoritative expert in water management and disaster relief and has campaigned for cooperation between the Netherlands and Japan in that area.

Albert de Gooijer is the oldest decorated man at 98 years old. He owes his ribbon to his role as treasurer of scouting associations and of the Protestant Community Wilhelmina Church in Utrecht. The eldest woman is Muriel Arrindell-Simpson (97) from Sint Maarten, who is committed to the well-being of the elderly.

The youngest man is Jeron Groeneveld from Zwammerdam. The 29-year-old has been a volunteer at local broadcaster Studio Alphen since he was 16, where he is a director, broadcast technician and recording manager. Journalist Wendy Beenakker (37), deputy editor-in-chief of BNR Nieuwsradio, has been awarded for her activities for Scouting Nederland.

All have become members of the Order of Orange-Nassau.

As usual, the vast majority of decorated people have made a valuable contribution as volunteers at local level. This concerns 3287 people.

Awards have also gone to people who have made a special achievement in their paid job, but there are far fewer: 138. There is an overlap, because some people have been decorated for both reasons.

This year there is not one area or subject that stands out in the awards ceremony, says a spokesperson for the Chancellery of the Dutch Orders. Since last year, the Government Gazette, in which all more than 3,000 awards are published, lists the areas in which decorated persons have made themselves meritorious (maximum three). Last year it was striking that relatively many people were nominated who were committed to combating poverty.

Yvon Jaspers, the face of the reality dating program for many years Farmer seeks wife, has “become an ambassador of the agricultural sector”. She became a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau, partly because she “connects farmers and citizens”.

Singer Berget Lewis is co-founder of the ZO! Foundation. Gospel Choir, which wants to give underprivileged young people a platform. She is also committed to stimulating the careers of new singing talent. Lewis can also call himself a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau.

The same applies to investor and billionaire Marcel Boekhoorn, owner of Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen. He has received a ribbon for his activities as a volunteer at, among others, the Fonkel Foundation, which organizes activities for children with a ‘backpack’ in Ouwehands Zoo.