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War II Veteran Tom Moore completed his mission last Thursday of walking 100 laps for Health Care Workers

PETER CZIBORRA/REUTERS

Last Thursday, World War II Veteran Tom Moore completed his mission of walking 100 laps around his garden in eastern England to raise money for health care workers. The 99-year old raised almost $37 million (30 million pounds) for Britain’s National Health Service to support health care workers during the coronavirus pandemic, according to Time. His humble quest to raise money became a national rallying point, with tens of thousands of Britons pledging donations. Although Moore set his goal at finishing the 100 laps before his 100th birthday on April 30th, he was able to complete his mission with the help of a walking frame a week before the deadline. Nine soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment, a unit tied to his former British army regiment, lined the paved walkway in his backyard, forming an honor guard for his final laps. “I’ve fought so many battles and we’ve always won, and we’re going to win again,” Moore told British broadcaster ITV. ~

Moore originally began the fundraiser to thank the doctors and nurses that cared for him after he broke his hip. His family set an initial goal of raising 1,000 pounds, but after the campaign went viral, millions were raised within a week. JustGiving, the online fundraising platform Moore used, said that his campaign created the largest donation the site has ever made. A petition calling for him to be knighted has almost reached its goal of 1,000,000 signatures as of Wednesday morning. ~

Ahead of his landmark birthday on Thursday, over 125,000 cards have been sent to Bedford school, where his grandson Benjie Ingram-Moore attends. Benjie turned to his school for help when he learned that the post office was being swamped with cards for his grandfather. The 16-year-old said that “the volume of cards that have been sent to granddad is just astonishing. So many of the cards are truly heartfelt with thousands from young children who have taken the time to use their artistic talent and write a personal message.” Another 60,000 pounds have been donated through the cards. 140 members of school staff, parents, and students past and present spent many hours opening the cards and creating a display in the great hall of the school. ~

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