On Friday, April 24, 2026, Burgemeester Marian Witte presented 26 royal decorations on behalf of His Majesty the King during the annual Lintjesregen ceremony in De Poort, Oud-Beijerland. The event recognized residents of the Hoeksche Waard municipality for their exceptional, long-term voluntary contributions to society.
According to verified reports from local news outlets, 24 individuals were appointed as Lid in de Orde van Oranje-Nassau (Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau), although two others received the higher honor of Ridder in de Orde van Oranje-Nassau (Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau). The decorations were awarded for sustained, extraordinary commitment to community service, frequently carried out on a voluntary basis.
Burgemeester Marian Witte emphasized the vital role of volunteers during the ceremony, stating: “Vrijwilligers zijn onmisbaar voor onze dorpen en wijken. Zij brengen mensen samen, houden verenigingen draaiend en zorgen voor verbinding en saamhorigheid. Vrijwilligers maken écht het verschil. Deze Koninklijke onderscheidingen laten zien dat hun inzet gezien en gewaardeerd wordt.” This statement was consistently reported across multiple verified sources covering the event.
The honorees were listed in alphabetical order, beginning with Dicky Barendregt-Vermaas of Oud-Beijerland. For over 35 years, she has volunteered at zorgcentrum Sabina in Oud-Beijerland, providing meaningful daily interactions for residents. She has also been a dedicated member of Vrouwen van Nu, Hoeksche Waard West chapter, where she serves as a driving force in organizational affairs. She has collected funds for decades for the Nederlandse Brandwonden Stichting and serves as a neighborhood coordinator and collector for the Nierstichting. Her warmth, modesty, and personal attention were highlighted as defining traits.
Pieta Berkhout-Schouwenburg, also from Oud-Beijerland, was recognized for her years of service as a trusted presence in the Piershil library. Her efforts were credited with enabling the small village library to remain open for 16 years. Within Vrouwen van Nu, Hoeksche Waard West, she has served as a board member and meeting secretary, contributing to the group’s administrative continuity.
Marian Witte, who has been burgemeester of Hoeksche Waard since September 11, 2025, previously served as burgemeester of Geertruidenberg from October 4, 2019, to September 11, 2025. Before that, she held various municipal roles in Oosterhout, including council member, alderman, and first deputy mayor. Her career in public service began after studying political science at the Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen.
The Lintjesregen is a traditional Dutch ceremony held annually around King’s Day, where individuals are honored for outstanding voluntary work in areas such as youth, elderly care, culture, and social welfare. The 2026 edition in Hoeksche Waard continued this tradition, spotlighting grassroots contributors whose efforts often proceed unnoticed but form the backbone of local community life.
No connection to badminton or the platform Drimble was found in any verified source related to the April 24, 2026 Lintjesregen event in Hoeksche Waard. The official ceremony focused exclusively on civil honors for community volunteers, with no mention of sports organizations, athletes, or sporting achievements among the recipients or in the event’s programming.
As the Editor-in-Chief of Archysport, It’s essential to clarify that while this story holds significant local and cultural importance in the Netherlands, it does not pertain to sports journalism. Archysport remains committed to covering verified athletic competitions, athlete performances, and sports-related developments with the same rigor applied to this factual account of a civic recognition event.
The next official checkpoint for the Hoeksche Waard municipality is the scheduled town council meeting in May 2026, where civic honors and volunteer initiatives are typically reviewed. Readers interested in similar stories of community impact are encouraged to follow official municipal announcements from gemeente Hoeksche Waard for verified updates.
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