Menno van Laar is ready in time at the coffee stop in the village of De Rijp. He is waiting – of course in a Santa suit – for his wife and daughter, who are participating in the tour. “They ride for our son, who died of cancer five years ago,” he says. “Tomorrow he would have been 21.”
His wife Sandra enters the village a little later, with a photo of son Arno stuck to the front of the motorcycle. “We had fantastic care at the Princess Máxima Center for a year. It’s really wonderful what they try to keep the children busy in between.”
Importance of distraction
Sandra knows from her own experience how important this distraction is. “Otherwise you simply won’t keep them motivated. And that is precisely what is not reimbursed by the health insurer, which is why donations are so important.”
Despite the sadness, the family thoroughly enjoys the ride every year. Sandra: “This is a gift. Lovely in the sun and so many people come to watch.”