By means of: José van der Wegen
13 minutes ago
General
HOOGERHEIDE – Today, Mayor Adriaansen presented eight residents of Woensdrecht with a Royal Decoration during the General Occasion 2024, also known as the Ribbon Rain. The sixth person who was surprised this day is Niels van Elzakker (55) from Hoogerheide.
Mr Niels van Elzakker from Hoogerheide has been appointed Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau. From 2007 he was co-organizer of PrimeraPop. Since 2011, this event has been called the Brabantse Wal Festival. In 2023, this festival had a number of visitors of 8,000 people (over 4 days), with themed performances organized for young and old. Niels van Elzakker is chairman of the Brabantse Wal Festival Foundation. In addition, Mr Van Elzakker is the driving force behind numerous cycling events in the municipality of Woensdrecht. He is chairman of the Friends of the Course Foundation. About 10 years ago he revived the Hoogerheide cycling tour and cycling tours are now being held again in all five villages in our municipality under the name “Brabantse Wal cycling events”. In 2023, an important cycling classic within the Top Competition was brought to our municipality, partly by Niels van Elzakker, the “Fokker Battle of Woensdrecht”. A so-called “fat tire race” for children is also organized around this event. Finally, as an entrepreneur, he has also been committed to the entrepreneurs’ association in Hoogerheide for years (previously under the name Miwo, now Winkelhart Hoogerheide). He became its chairman in 2018.
On behalf of the Woensdrechtse Bode, congratulations on this Royal Award!
