The 99-year-old Captain inspired an unprecedented burst of charity.
In order to keep up his physical health during the pandemic lockdown, British military veteran Captain Tom Moore began walking laps through his large yard with a walker. To motivate him further, Moore’s daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, promised him a pound for every lap he completed, saying that she would give him 100 pounds if he finished 100 lengths by his 100th birthday. Instead of keeping that money for himself, though, Moore resolved to give every pound to the UK’s National Health Service in thanks for their work during the pandemic. After meeting his initial goal, Moore decided he wanted to keep going, which prompted his daughter to create a JustGiving page with the goal of raising 1,000 pounds.
When word got around about Moore’s plight, however, donations began pouring in from all over the country. They beat the goal of 1,000 pounds, then 5,000, then 50,000, and the goal just kept going up. As of this morning, Moore’s page has received over 900,000 donations totaling approximately 18 million pounds and counting. The donations were so large and frequent, JustGiving actually had to briefly pause the campaign to catch up. Moore finished the last ten laps of his campaign on Thursday, dressed in his Captain’s attire and cheered on by health workers and an honor guard, but the donations have not stopped pouring in. The outpouring of good will has caught even the Crown’s attention, with the UK’s Prince William commending Moore and calling him a “one-man fundraising machine.”
“It isn’t for me, it’s for all the people, the doctors and the nurses, whichever country you are in, it’s for them because they are doing so well,” Moore said of the funds he raised. “They are the front line and we’re all behind giving them back up, providing the goods they need, and a little pat on the back to tell them how well they are doing.”
A petition has begun circulating online for Moore to be formally knighted that has accrued approximately half a million signatures.
