Royal Honours Ceremony in West Maas en Waal

Tonny Wijgerse (Alphen)

Since 2001, he has been volunteering at Pleinpop, where he helps with whatever tasks are needed to ensure the festival weekend runs smoothly. In addition, from 2008 to 2022, he coached the women’s and girls’ teams at S.V. Avios, and since 2015, he has been officiating matches for both senior and junior teams.

He has also been serving as a community first responder since 2015. He organizes AED training sessions, is active on the community first responder app, and supports fellow responders. In this role, he initiated the use of reflective house number signs in Alphen, making homes easier for emergency services to locate.
His dedication is widely appreciated and is of great significance for the safety and livability of the village.

Truus Hulsen-van Uden (Alphen)

Since 1976, she has been active with Vrouwen van Nu (Alphen), where she has held various board positions, including treasurer and secretary. In addition, she was a fundraiser for the Heart Foundation for twenty years and has been a fundraiser and coordinator for Reuma Nederland since 2015. She has been a familiar face at St. Christoffel Church for many years. She served on the management committee for ten years, is active with Actie Kerkbalans, and visits fellow villagers weekly who are no longer able to attend church. She also helps out daily on her son’s farm, where she performs a variety of tasks.

She is known as a dedicated volunteer who is always there for others.

Riet van Eck-Oskam (Altforst)

Since 1980, she has served as a deacon in the (former) Reformed congregation Altforst. She supports people in need, handles church duties such as cleaning and serving coffee after services, visits new members of the congregation, and sings in the choir. In addition, she volunteered with De Zonnebloem from 1998 to 2025. For many years, she served on the board, conducted intake interviews, acted as a point of contact, sold raffle tickets, and assisted hundreds of guests. Through her dedication, she made a significant contribution to the organization.

She is known as a very dedicated volunteer, always willing to contribute ideas and roll up her sleeves.

Piet van den Bergh (Appeltern)

Since 2012, he and his wife have been actively supporting newcomers to the village. For example, he teaches language and music classes and helps families integrate. He also served as secretary of Caritas Appeltern for ten years.

As a co-founder of the Appeltern Village Platform, he Appeltern to initiatives that improve the quality of life, such as the Litter Brigade and the Open Dining Table. He has also been a fundraiser and coordinator for the Rheumatism Fund since 2020.

He is known as a warm and caring person who is deeply committed to helping others.

Lia van den Bergh (Appeltern)

She has been volunteering since 2010, including with the Zonnebloem, where she spent fourteen years making weekly visits to her guests to provide them with support. Even after her official membership ended, she continued to visit her guests faithfully. In addition, she regularly provided musical interludes and served as a hostess at the ’t Stekske community center.

Together with her husband, she has been helping newcomers to the village since 2010. Several days a week, she provides support with administrative tasks, language and music lessons, and family integration. She is also active in the "Dorpsplatform mooi Appeltern as a fundraiser for the Reumafonds.

She is known as a warm and caring woman who is always willing to help.

Ellen Brons (Beneden-Leeuwen)

She has been active with the King William III Music Association since 2003, where she is not only a musician but also served as president for twelve years. In addition, she serves on various committees and helps with organizational and administrative tasks.

She has also been a member of the editorial board of the magazine *Tweestromenland*, published by the Tweestromenland Historical Society, since 2005. She writes books and articles and performs meticulous editing and proofreading work. As a co-founder of the Leeuwen Local History Society (2009), she served on the board until 2015 and remains active as a volunteer.

Her contributions make her a valuable and valued member of the community.

Herman van Gelder (Beneden-Leeuwen)

Since 1998, he has served as treasurer for the Reigerstraat 30–34a Homeowners’ Association and has been responsible for cleaning the common hall every week. Since 1999, he has also held various positions within the Trug in de Téd choir, including treasurer, vice-chairman, conductor, and board member. In addition, since 2010 he has been involved with the St. Elisabeth Care Center, where he serves breakfast, manages the library, and sings along monthly during the sing-along sessions. Since 2019, he has also been active as a sexton, a role in which he serves as the point of contact for parishioners and assists families with funerals and evening vigils.

He is known as someone who is always there for others and never turns down a request.

Rinie van Haren (Beneden-Leeuwen)

Starting in 1976, he served as chairman, driving force, and musician for the Koning Willem III Music Association for over forty years. He organized countless activities, edited the anniversary book *Met de muziek mee door Leeuwen* (Through Leeuwen with Music), and played a key role in various village events.

Since 1986, he has been a key member of the carnival association De Braoiers, where his roles have included musician, founder of the brass band De Druppels, photographer, and writer for the Carnavalskrant. In addition, he worked for many years with the Wiellawaai Foundation, edited the weekly news edition of Blik op Beneden-Leeuwen was active in the business association Verrassend Leeuwen. He also continues to make a valuable contribution to local language and culture through his poems in the Maas and Waal dialect and his work for De Maos en Waolse Praotcast.

For many years, he has been a familiar and reliable presence in the community.

Jeannette van Teeffelen-van Rooijen (Beneden-Leeuwen)

She is a caregiver for her daughter and provides her with extensive support with daily care, hospital visits, and administrative matters. In addition, she has served as secretary of the ASV Vizier sports club—an organization for people with physical disabilities—since 2006. In this role, her responsibilities include organization, communications, membership administration, and tournaments, and she serves as a trusted source of support for the members.

She also volunteers as a fundraiser for the Princess Beatrix Spier Fund and the Vlinderkind Foundation, and performs additional support work for these organizations.

She is regarded as an indispensable and deeply committed volunteer with a big heart for others.

Joop Kusters (Dreumel)

He has been dedicated to the community since 1998. For example, he volunteered for 25 years at De Zeven Morgen swimming pool, where he maintained the pools and the slide. Since 2006, he has been a volunteer at Zorggroep Maas en Waal, where he is responsible for maintaining wheelchairs and walkers at St. Elisabeth Nursing Home. In addition, for many years he organized vacations for people with disabilities through the Red Cross and De Zonnebloem, where he worked in facilities management, service, and the kitchen. Since 2013, he has also been a caregiver for his brother, whom he lovingly supports every day.

He is a modest and warm-hearted person who means a great deal to many people.