Even more involvement from the education sector

For many years there has been involvement from elementary school regarding the adoption of the Kite Monument. Last year this was expanded to include involvement from Almere College in Dronten and Stewart's Melville College in Edinburgh in the form of an exchange. Again this year, 10 students from Edinburgh will come to Dronten to attend the commemoration. 

This year, the Ichthus College from Dronten is also joining in with a poetry competition for students in the third grades of vmbo-tl, havo and vwo. From a selection of ten nominated poems, a jury will choose a winning poem. This poem will be recited on May 4 during the ceremony on the square. 

Memorial meeting 

At 6 p.m. the memorial service will start in the main hall of De Meerpaal. Besides invited guests, this meeting is open to everyone.  On the basis of the annual theme of the national committee May 4 and 5, "Freedom Tells a Story", this theme will be interpreted in a varied and dignified manner. There will be a speech by the Queen's Commissioner Arjen Gerritsen. There will also be music by Renzo and Romar Boswijk and dance from De Meerpaal's Dance Lab. There are contributions from the schools and the Stichting Veteranen Gemeente Dronten. Tineke Stuifzand will take attendees through the program.

Ceremony on the Meerpaal Square 

The ceremony will take place on the Meerpaalplein. A speech by Mayor Gebben and a poem by a student of the Ichthus College. After the Last Post, the 2 minutes of silence and the national anthems, wreaths will be laid at the monument. The square will be joined by the Flevo Scouts, Flevo's Men's Choir, Maris Sonores and De Eendracht, among others. Omroep Flevoland will broadcast the commemoration.  We welcome the presence of veterans and actively serving military from the municipality of Dronten on the square. This year a large screen will be present to watch from a distance.

Flypasts

The British Lancaster of the Royal Air Force Battle of Brittain Memorial Flight will not fly over the Meerpaalplein in Dronten on May 4. On May 4, a few minutes past 8 p.m., Tom van der Meulen will fly over in a Harvard an old Air Force training aircraft. The Mustang is under restoration. Around 8:20 p.m., the Edambusters will fly over. 

Transfer of adoption of the Kite Monument

On April 22 the adoption transfer of the Kite Monument will take place. Elementary school 'De Dukdalf' takes over the care of the monument from elementary school 'De Tamarisk' from Biddinghuizen. A representation of group 7 pupils from other elementary school will be present. Mayor Jean Paul Gebben talks with the pupils. Tjerk Zwanenburg tells about how the recovery of airplanes used to be done. Gert Talens tells about the story of Kitchen & Williamson. Two crew members of a bomber that crashed in the IJsselmeer near Vossemeerdijk 6 in Dronten on November 27, 1944. 

Swimming competition Airgunnerstrofee 

On April 24, swimming association "De Zuiderzeezwemmers" is organizing the annual swimming competition for the Airgunnerstrofee. Pupils of group 8 of elementary school in the municipality of Dronten participate. The competition takes place in the Aat de Jonge Swimming Pool in Dronten and starts at 2:30 pm. 

Freedom meals on May 5 

On May 5, Liberation Day, activities take place throughout the country, ranging from intimate gatherings to large-scale festivities and, since a number of years, freedom meals. These meals bring people together to talk about freedom and unfreedom, topics that are often not everyday occurrences, but especially on Liberation Day deserve extra attention. It is an initiative of the National Committee May 4 and 5. In Dronten two Freedom Meals will take place on May 5. 

Stichting 4 Mei Herdenking Dronten distributes Freedom Soup from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Vliegersmonument on the Meerpaalplein. A time to view the wreaths, engage in conversation about freedom and commemoration in Dronten. Registration is not necessary. 

On the initiative of Stichting Wende2001, a Freedom Meal will be organized at Ontmoetingspark Buiten by various local parties. In cooperation with the working group Fairtrade (Netwerk Duurzaamheid Dronten), they are inviting up to 80 residents to participate in this special occasion free of charge. The Freedom Meal will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be framed by music and a storytelling performance. Moreover, the dishes will be prepared with Fairtrade products, which not only pays attention to freedom, but also to fair trade. For more information about the program and free registration, please visit www.wende2001.org. 

Various guest lessons/lectures 

In the coming weeks the 4th of May Remembrance Foundation Dronten will host several guest lectures. Board members will visit elementary school in the municipality of Dronten and residential care center De Regenboog in Dronten. The Veterans' Foundation of the Municipality of Dronten also gives various guest lectures at schools. 

Tattoo

Stichting 4 Mei Herdenking Dronten will stop organizing the annual tattoo on the Meerpaalplein. 

For more information, see our calendar at www.4meiherdenkingdronten.nl and/or follow Foundation May 4 Remembrance Dronten on Facebook or Instagram.