Geel (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): Over 1,000 Kogeka students celebrated the school’s 25th anniversary with a parade to Bobbejaanland. Director Danny Van der Veken emphasized safety, while teacher Jan Dierckx praised community support.
On the 27th of September morning, more than 1,000 students took part in a big parade at Bobbejaanland, a famous amusement park in Lichtaart. The students are from Kogeka, a school group that has six schools in the Geel and Kasterlee areas. This event was organized to celebrate the school group’s 25th anniversary.
How did Kogeka celebrate 25 years with over 1,000 students in Geel?
According to Danny Van der Veken, the director of Kogeka, the recent event was a wonderful opportunity for students and staff to unite and celebrate 25 years of the school group. Kogeka has expanded significantly over the years, now supporting many students in the region, and the trip to Bobbejaanland was a fun way to commemorate this milestone while enjoying the rides. This celebration highlighted the strong community spirit and pride within Kogeka as they recognized their 25 years of educational service. With a total of 5,300 students and 750 staff members across six schools, many community members participated in the special event at the amusement park, with two large groups of cyclists making their way there early in the morning from Geel and Kasterlee.
The event required a lot of planning that started last year, with safety being the main focus. Danny Van der Veken, Kogeka’s director, highlighted the importance of safety. Organizers took many steps to ensure a smooth and secure journey for everyone involved. The Red Cross was present to provide first aid if needed, and a broom and breakdown truck followed the cyclists to assist with any bike issues or fatigue. This well-organized celebration not only showed Kogeka’s commitment to safety and community but also highlighted the strong unity among students and staff as they enjoyed a memorable day at the amusement park.
At the beginning of the bike ride, there was some confusion, with two small falls happening. To help everyone, they turned a parking lot at Bobbejaanland into a place to park the bikes. Kogeka, which started 25 years ago from a merger of five schools, allows each school to keep its own style and teaching methods. Danny Van der Veken, who has been there since the start, thinks the collaboration has worked well. Teacher Jan Dierckx, who has been at Sancta Maria for 30 years, agrees and says the support from Kogeka is really helpful. The students are enjoying their day at the amusement park, with one student saying they hope to try many rides and enjoy time with friends instead of being in class.
