Yahoo News Coronavirus: War hero, 99, raises millions for NHS by doing laps of his garden
A 99-year-old World War Two veteran has raised more than £2.5m (US$3.15m) for the NHS by doing laps of his garden on his walking frame.
Captain Tom Moore is aiming to complete 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden by Thursday to raise money for the Association of NHS Charities.
He had originally hoped to raise £1,000 with the endeavour, but has been inundated with donations and messages of support which have seen the total rise to more than £2.5m.
Since his appeal went viral, Moore says he now plans to keep going and walk another 100 laps after he reaches his goal later this week.
Thank you so much for your support of my efforts to raise much needed money for the nhs. Age is no barrier to giving our thanks to the army of @NHSuk and @NHSVolResponder who are working so hard in trying times. We will succeed.#walkwithtom#TomorrowWillBeAGoodDay https://t.co/0HgnNfuwRp
— Captain Tom Moore (@captaintommoore) April 14, 2020
"When you think of who it is all for, all those brave and super doctors and nurses we have got, I think they deserve every penny and I hope we get some more for them too," he told BBC News.
After passing the £1m mark on Tuesday afternoon, Moore tweeted: “Since 8 am today we have raised 1 million pounds for the NHS.
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“Thank you to everyone that has helped this great cause. What else can I say other than thank you from the bottom of my heart!”
Moore, was born in Keighley, West Yorkshire, and trained as a civil engineer before enlisting in the army for World War Two.
He rose to the rank of captain and served in India and Burma.
Moore, who is set to turn 100 later this month, began raising funds to thank the "magnificent" NHS staff who helped him with treatment for cancer and a broken hip.
He described the support he has received so far as "absolutely fabulous" and says he hopes people will remain strong during the coronavirus lockdown.
"Let's all carry on and remember that things will get better,” he added.
"We have had problems before – we have overcome them – and we shall all overcome the same thing again."
You can donate to the Tom’s Walk for the NHS challenge on JustGiving.com.
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