At the end of March, I was approached by Yvonne Drenth-Voorhorst, the initiator of the first Avond4Daagse Osseveld-Woudhuis in Apeldoorn, with the question whether I would be willing to take photographs during the event. This gave the Avond4Daagse a wonderful local character, with children walking a route through their own neighbourhood. A year earlier, Yvonne had already organised a successful mini four-day walking event for thirty children, which eventually led to this first official edition.
She felt that travelling to the Orderbos in Apeldoorn was quite a distance and difficult for many parents to combine with work and their children's bedtimes. Judging by the large number of children who took part this year, many parents clearly recognised this problem.
The organisation initially expected around five hundred registrations, but the number of participants continued to grow. In the end, 743 children took part. Including parents and other participants, approximately 1,100 people joined the walks.
VOLUNTEERS
The entire Avond4Daagse was organised with the help of volunteers. Extra volunteers were needed at the refreshment points, with each primary school in the neighbourhood taking responsibility for one evening by providing drinks and snacks for the participants.
The walking routes had to be planned in advance, signposted before each walk and cleared afterwards. In addition, volunteers helped with parking, assisted on the event grounds, took care of the set-up and ensured participants could safely cross several roads along the route. I was asked if I would be willing to capture the event with both my camera and drone. I simply couldn't say no to such a fantastic local initiative. Although I wasn't able to attend every evening, I photographed and filmed the first two evenings as thoroughly as possible.
The opening evening was officially launched by alderman Anja Prins and Children's Mayor Sara, who were both present to mark the start of the very first Avond4Daagse Osseveld-Woudhuis.
MEDIA
Another great thing to mention is the amount of media attention this event received. It all started with a wonderful article in the regional newspaper De Stentor the day before the Avond4Daagse began. During the opening evening, the event was also covered by Omroep Gelderland, both on radio and television, as well as by the Dutch television channel SBS6. After the final evening of the Avond4Daagse, I was also interviewed by RTV Apeldoorn.
All in all, it turned out to be a wonderful Avond4Daagse. What started as a 'last resort' for Yvonne last year, with just thirty children taking part, has grown into a truly remarkable event that everyone involved can look back on with pride.
Seeing more than six months of preparation finally come together was wonderful. It is great to see what can be achieved within a local community, because an event like this is only possible thanks to the dedication and commitment of so many volunteers.
Below are the photos from Tuesday, May 20 and Wednesday, May 21...
Avond4Daagse Osseveld-Woudhuis Apeldoorn 2025
