Twenty Zoetermeerders Receive Zoetermeerders Honors During the Annual Awards Ceremony

Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau

On behalf of His Majesty the King, Mayor Bezuijen appointed 14 Zoetermeerders Members of the Order of Orange-Nassau:

Mr. P. (Piet) Bots | Since his retirement in June 2015, Mr. Bots has led the ongoing professionalization of the Zoetermeer Union of Volunteers Foundation (UVV), which, under his leadership, has grown into an organization with over 300 volunteers dedicated to supporting vulnerable residents of Zoetermeer.

Ms. J. (Jenny) Bos-De Gier | Since 2009, Ms. Bos-De Gier has been volunteering at the Reformed Morgenster Congregation in Zoetermeer, where her roles include serving as coordinator of the special pastoral care team. In addition, she has been volunteering with Gevangenenzorg Nederland since November 2021, where she supports the families of inmates.

Mr. K. (Klaas) Breukelman | For more than 30 years, Mr. Breukelman has been a volunteer at the Reformed Municipality of Zoetermeer. As a deacon, and also as a member of the Administration and Housing committees, he oversees the maintenance of the church and the parsonage and is closely involved in the church’s restoration.

Ms. C. (Cocky) Van Dorp | Since 1996, Ms. Van Dorp has been actively involved in various roles at the Oosterkerk Zoetermeer. Among other things, she organizes youth camps and established the Jethro Campground, which enables families who would otherwise be unable to do so to go on vacation. In addition, through the Van Dorp Foundation, she is dedicated to a variety of aid projects and served as a board member of the Association for Christian Education (now Unicoz).

Mr. J. (Hans) van Garderen | Since 2009, Mr. Van Garderen has been active as a volunteer in elder care. He began at Vivium, then moved to De Bolder Zorggroep, and later to Amaris Theodotion. Since 2017, he has been working in Zoetermeer at the Domus residential care facility, Palet Welzijn, and the WelThuis De Boomgaerd residential care facility. Among other things, he supports people with dementia by taking them on walks, playing music, and organizing activities.

Mr. W. (Willem) Hermans, B.S. | Mr. Hermans has been a volunteer since 1986. He applies his in-depth knowledge and expertise in the field of urban design and urban planning to organizations such as the Ilion Athletics Club, Schatbewakers Zoetermeer, the Zoetermeer City Model, and the Philip Spangenberg Travel Grant, a fund aimed at providing financial support to urban planning students at TU Delft.

Mr. L. (Leo) Heurter, Engineer | Mr. Heurter has been active since 1997 in the NGV, Delfland chapter, a national organization that supports research into genealogy and family history. Since 2016, he has been a co-founder and board member of the Villa Eigenwijze Foundation, a parent-led initiative dedicated to providing a safe and independent living environment for (young) adults with intellectual disabilities.

Ms. J. (Jacqueline) Jongejan-van Gilst | Since 1998, Ms. Jongejan-van Gilst has been volunteering for various organizations associated with the Royal Military Police. For example, she is a co-founder of the Royal Military Police Home Front Committee and has volunteered at the Royal Military Police Museum.

Ms. T. (Trijntje) de Jong | Since her retirement 23 years ago, Ms. De Jong has been volunteering at the Houtwijk nursing home and the Willem Drees care home in The Hague, both part of HWW Zorg. She helps residents get to physical therapy sessions, assists with meals, and supports activities such as bingo and the three-day walking event.

Ms. M. (Rian) van Kleef | For nearly 40 years, Ms. Van Kleef has been volunteering with the Union of Volunteers (UVV) in Zoetermeer. She started out with the activities group at the Vivaldi nursing home and now plays a major role in the UVV’s Grocery Delivery Service. In addition, she recently began volunteering as a Bicycle Companion.

Mr. J. (Han) Koole | Since 1994, Mr. Koole has been dedicated to helping vulnerable elderly people in Romania through the Help Bejaarden Odorheiu Foundation. In addition, he raises funds with the Zoetermeer Rotary Club for organizations such as the Food Bank and the Unlimited Sports Event, and he serves as treasurer for Filmhuis Cameo.

Ms. E. (Marlies) Van Mosel-Danner | Since 2014, Ms. Van Mosel-Danner has been volunteering at various organizations, including the emergency room at Haga Hospital, the Red Cross telephone support group, and the De Meerbloem sports and recreation club, where people with chronic conditions or disabilities can participate in sports and swimming.

Ms. C. (Christine) Snels-Advokaat | From 1983 to 2015, Ms. Snels-Advokaat and her husband served as foster parents, providing vulnerable children with a safe, stable home. As a volunteer at the community center and co-founder of the Huiskamer van Palenstein, she has been working since 1995 to improve the quality of life and foster community connections in the neighborhood through various neighborhood initiatives, such as the litter cleanup brigade and the “Ambachtsheerlijkheid” community garden.

Mr. B. (Bouke) van der Zee | Since 1988, Mr. Van der Zee has been active as a volunteer at the Evangelical Church Parousia Zoetermeer. In various roles, he has contributed to the development, maintenance, and sustainability of the church buildings and has ensured safe, functional, and future-proof facilities for church and community activities.

Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau, Class of Swords

On behalf of His Majesty the King, Mayor Bezuijen appointed a resident of Zoetermeer as a Member with Swords in the Order of Orange-Nassau:

Mr. D. (Dave) Heemskerk | Since the age of 18, Mr. Heemskerk has been volunteering in the fields of defense, education, and remembrance. Since 2011, he has served as a reservist with the National Reserve Corps, where he contributes to the readiness and training of military personnel. In addition, he serves as a guest speaker for the Veterans Institute, a spokesperson for Humanitarian Law of War on behalf of the Red Cross, and a War Graves Consul, through which he contributes to raising awareness, education, and keeping the memory of war victims alive.

Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau

On behalf of His Majesty the King, Mayor Bezuijen appointed four Zoetermeerders Knights of the Order of Orange-Nassau:

Ms. K. (Kanta) Adhin, Esq., Ph.D. | Since the 1980s, Ms. Adhin has been dedicated to socio-cultural initiatives, particularly those benefiting the Surinamese community. She is a volunteer and board member at the Jnan Adhin Institute. In that role, and through her work for various organizations in the fields of culture, media, education, and integration—such as Writers Unlimited and the Taalhuis at the Zoetermeer Library—she has been contributing for decades to knowledge transfer, social dialogue, and an inclusive society.

Dr. L. (Bertus) Fortuijn | Mr. Fortuijn has been active as a volunteer since 1979. He has held administrative and pastoral roles within church and community organizations, including the Evangelical Broadcasting Network, the 3xM Foundation, and the Protestant Municipality of Zoetermeer. In addition, since his retirement, he has been applying his expertise in the field of traffic engineering as a visiting lecturer at Delft University of Technology and regularly speaks at international conferences.

Mr. J. (Jos) Govaarts | For more than 20 years, he has served as a board member and volunteer for organizations including the Royal Military Police Museum Foundation and the Dutch Officers’ Association. He has also been a member of the disciplinary committee of the International Military Sports Council and of the Van Houten Foundation, which assists Royal Military Police personnel who have gotten into trouble through no fault of their own. The Rotary Club of Zoetermeer has also been able to count on him for 20 years.

Dr. C. (Cécile) Schat-Savy | Since 2006, Dr. Schat-Savy has been dedicated to the cause through the Togo Children’s Aid Foundation, which she founded, where she has examined and treated thousands of children and established large-scale preventive healthcare programs. With the help of this foundation, she also established a school for deaf children. In addition, she has made a significant contribution to international medical research.

Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau

On behalf of His Majesty the King, Mayor Bezuijen appointed a resident of Zoetermeer as an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau:

Dr. B. (Barryl) Biekman | In 2000, Dr. Biekman was appointed Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau for her dedication to the fight against racism and discrimination. Since her appointment, she has continued her work with undiminished dedication and played a leading role in raising national and international awareness and recognition of the history of slavery. As co-founder of the National Platform on the History of Slavery, she has contributed to lasting social and policy changes, including the establishment of the National Monument to the History of Slavery in the Netherlands and the recognition of the history of slavery by the Dutch state and the Royal House.