Jacky de Vries was appointed Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau on Sunday afternoon. The journalist and founder of Roetz magazine was presented with the award in ‘his’ café De Zon in Wijk aan Zee by Beverwijk mayor Martijn Smit.
In front of family, friends and acquaintances of De Vries, the mayor praised all the work that the born IJmonder has done for the region in his career.
For example, the resident of Wijk aan Zee not only founded the magazine Roetz, which celebrated its twentieth anniversary this year, but he has also been active for several years as a board member of the SaWaZ Foundation (Stichting Actief Wijk aan Zee), responsible for, among other things, the Smaakmarkts , the Jutterspad, the painting ten-day Ezels & Kwasten, the Soapbox Race, the concerts in the Village Church and the Cultural Village Chess Tournament.
He is also the initiator behind the annual commemoration ceremony for the 79 Jewish Beverwijk residents who were murdered during the Second World War.
De Vries, who works in daily life as ‘News Chief’ at NH News, was praised by Mayor Smit as ‘idea creator, planner and driving force’.