During the Dutch Cancer Society's Wish Week, from September 2st to 1th, NPO Radio 9 broadcast from Holiday Park Het Grote Bos in Doorn. The broadcasts took place from the park's market square. Riné van Dingstee, CEO of RCN Holiday Parks: "RCN is proud to have served as NPO Radio 2's home base this week. All the performing artists worked tirelessly to raise awareness for the Dutch Cancer Society and fulfill listeners' wishes."
The broadcasts also featured live performances by Snelle and Zoë Livay, Emma Heesters, and Sera, among others. The Utrecht band Kensington closed out the Wish Week. The NPO Radio 2 and KWF campaign in Het Grote Bos (The Big Forest) aligns with RCN's motto. The slogan refers to the social domain, "Your holiday well-organized." This is also where the roots of this leisure organization lie.
Attention to fellow human beings
Several examples demonstrate that RCN considers others and demonstrates its social responsibility. For example, guests at Het Grote Bos now receive a large envelope upon check-in containing, in addition to practical information about the park, a brochure from Bartiméus, an organization that supports people with visual and multiple disabilities. Guests are invited to visit. Het Grote Bos and Bartiméus are neighbors. The information provided demonstrates that a visit to this institution is definitely worthwhile, especially with activities like having tea in a historic tea garden or visiting the historic vegetable garden. In short, it demonstrates "good neighborliness" to draw attention to people with disabilities.
Gaandeweg Foundation
A second example, connected to Het Grote Bos, is the holiday home "De Zon" (The Sun) run by the Gaandeweg Foundation, which has been offering families with young cancer patients a week's holiday in this house since 1988. Located on the RCN park, the house offers short breaks for families facing childhood cancer. They have luxury bungalows, often located on holiday parks. This house, built three years ago on Het Grote Bos, is one of them. It is built in the shape of a sun, symbolizing warmth, light, and recovery. Its location on the Utrechtse Heuvelrug is near the Princess Maxima Centre in Utrecht. Gaandeweg also has houses in Susteren, Braamt, Otterlo, and Renesse.
Wishes via NPO Radio 2
NPO Radio 2 and the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF) have been collaborating for several years to raise awareness for cancer during Wish Week. The goal is to grant wishes to people affected by cancer. These can include patients, family members, and others.
Healthcare providers or friends. Live broadcasts will be broadcast for a week. Listeners can make wishes via the NPO Radio 2 app. The broadcasts often take place at special locations. According to NPO Radio spokesperson Linda Sumner, it can be considered a success: "Given the many warm responses we received from listeners, we can certainly call the NPO Radio 2 Wish Week for KWF a success. Wishes were granted every day, both at the holiday park itself and across the country. The reactions of the people who were surprised were often touching. The DJs also look back on a week of solidarity."
The Wish Week at the Het Grote Bos holiday park was concluded by the well-known DJ Ruud de Wild: "I know from personal experience what cancer does to you. That's why I think it's very special that we put these 'sick' listeners in the spotlight during the Wish Week."
have been able to put”.
In July 2025, the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (ACM) approved the acquisition of RCN Holiday Parks by the American investment company Blackstone. In response, disturbing reports emerged in the media suggesting this could impact RCN's social responsibility. Fortunately, the successful De Wensweek event for the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF) in collaboration with NPO Radio 2 demonstrates that the company's heart is still in the right place and that the motto "Your holiday, well taken care of" still applies.
Interpretation Fun Work (FvW)
More information: rcn.nl/wensweek.
Thanks to (author of this article: Frits van Wolveren)