Mr. Spijkers received the award in the Leyhoeve.
Mr. Spijkers received the award because he has been committed to vulnerable children in Ukraine for over 30 years through his foundation Humanitarian Aid Children Ukraine. He started without a grand plan or a team, but with his own money because he felt he had to do something for these children. He began collecting supplies, arranging transportation, and building contacts. And that has not stopped. Even during the war, he returned to Ukraine several times to see what was needed.
Endless Commitment
Mr. Spijkers has been working for many years with hospitals in the Netherlands and Ukraine to get equipment, medicines, and aid goods to Ukraine. He helped with the renovation of intensive care units, the establishment of a maternity hospital, and the support of a childrens hospital with modern equipment. He also ensured a colorful environment in which children felt safer. But Mr. Spijkers commitment did not stop there. He helped establish a school for the deaf, an orphanage, a summer camp for children, and provided facilities for children with muscle diseases.
Previous Awards
In March 2017, Mr. Spijkers was awarded the Golden Pin by the municipality of Tilburg by former mayor Noordanus. He received this award for his years of volunteer work for the Elisabeth-TweeSteden hospital foundation, Beyond Ordinary Borders, and the Humanitarian Aid Children Ukraine foundation. In 2000, he received a royal distinction for his many volunteer activities. In 2005, Mr. Spijkers was elected Brabander of the Year, and in 2006 he received the Matra/KPA prestigious certificate for The best development project with the new neighbors of Europe. And Mr. Spijkers continues to improve the lives of many children in Ukraine by keeping in touch and hearing what people there need. It is rightly called his lifes work, which he hopes to continue for a long time.
