Captain Tom, 99, raises $10 million with a walk in his UK garden

 

Retired British Army Captain Tom Moore, 99, walks to raise money for health workers, by attempting to walk the length of his garden one hundred times before his 100th birthday later this month, in Britain in this undated handout taken sometime April 2020. Maytrix Group/Handout via REUTERS

 

LONDON (Reuters) - A 99-year-old war veteran has become a celebrity by raising at least 8.5 million pounds ($10.7 million) for Britain's health service with a walk around his garden in the coronavirus crisis.

 

Retired army captain Tom Moore, who has used a walking frame to move around since breaking his hip, has set himself the target of walking the 25 metres around his garden 100 times before his 100th birthday later this month.

 

The story has lifted the hearts of a nation stuck in lockdown for the last month and weary of the relentless wave of grim news. So far, nearly 13,000 people with COVID-19 have died in British hospitals, the fifth-highest total globally.

 

Moore's initially modest aims have been blown away as media attention from around the globe has zoomed in on his garden in Bedfordshire, central England.

 

A 99-year-old British army veteran has raised more than £5 million for the health service in the UK by completing 100 laps of his garden in central England. Edward Baran reports.

 

"It was a joke (originally)," he told Reuters. "But then it seemed to get bigger and bigger, until now. I mean we now seem to have got into the millions, which is rather a lot.

 

"I never even dreamt of that sort of money. It's the National Health Service, who are doing such a magnificent job for us all."

 

Now Moore has a target of 10 million pounds in his sights.

 

"So long as I can go on walking, so long as people are giving money towards it, I'll keep on walking," he said.

 

His son-in-law Colin Ingram said Moore wanted to give something back after receiving such good care from the state-run health service when he broke his hip two years ago and in subsequent hospital visits.

 

"It was literally just something we were doing in the garden to keep him walking on his recovery from his hip operation," Ingram told Reuters.

 

"We said we'd give him a pound a lap, and thank goodness I didn't say I'd match any money he raised!"

 

Moore, pictured with his campaign medals from his time as an army officer in Asia in World War Two, has featured on UK news programmes and front pages, and his family are fielding interest from as far afield as the United States, France and Australia.

 

Raising money for the health service has given Moore a new lease of life, said his son-in-law.

 

"He's coming down in the morning sprightly and loving it. If the public wants to keep on donating then he'll keep on walking," Ingram said.

($1 = 0.7972 pounds)

 

(Reporting by Sarah Young and Gerhard Mey; editing by Stephen Addison/Guy Faulconbridge/Pravin Char)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-16

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TOTESAMAZEBALLS

He hasn't finished yet 11.8m pounds so far, 7.5m yesterday and the UK is just waking up so he might hit 20m today!

 

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tomswalkforthenhs

 

It was a fine gesture.

 

Those donating used it as a good excuse to do the right thing.

 

Human nature at its best.

 

 

Edited April 16, 20206 yr by Antonymous

Kudos old timer and thank you for your service

That is the kind of guy who deserves a knighthood.

Not the bean counters in the civil service who get one just for doing their job or actors or people who sing songs.

Just reached 12 million on the BBC World News just now. ????????????

And he started of with a target of a whole grand (which he thought was ambitious) ????

 

Keep Walking Tom.

 

He's 2399% over his initial target as of writing this. What a legend ????

The late JFK said during his inaugural Presidential speech

" do not ask what my country can do for me , rather ask what can I do for my country " .. This chap is the embodiment of that .. He started out wanting to repay the hospital for recent treatment he'd had hoping to raise a £1000 , the last I looked it was over 12 mill' .. A quite extraordinary achievement for someone a fortnight from his 100th birthday .. 

£12.3 Million and still rising, he's just finished his 100 laps with the Yorkshire Regiment as a Guard of honour at the end (his old regiment)

 

Asked how do you feel now Tom? He said Im alright, I got the right sort of people around me!

Edited April 16, 20206 yr by Lokie

What a Legend...

22 minutes ago, Opl said:

I salute you sir!

Well done sir, just the kind of thing needed to focus peoples minds during these troubling times.

True British spirit, he has earned the respect of the nation, onwards and upwards.

Impressive both from the old boy, and, the donors who value the good work of the NHS

 

Well done all fantastic effort

3 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

Just reached 12 million on the BBC World News just now. ????????????

12.4M at the moment with people from 53 countries donating.  No doubt at some stage he will get a visit from one of the royals and very probably a gong from Madge.

A lovely bit of news for once. Well done Tom.

Awesome, awesome, Captain Tom. Hope to see a piece about you on your 110th birthday.

I hesitate to raise this but where will the money go ? A comedian in Australia raised 65 million dollars last year for the bushfire victims, a lot of them have not even received a cent . The charity that got the money is still tying it up with legal arguments, in other words Lawyers making money, charity executives getting fat salaries and P R firms making a fortune trying to put a positive spin on it. 
I would love to see the actual health workers get something direct, even a free petrol allowance or a travel pass for a year but I fear it will disappear into the bean counters clutches never to be seen again.

I am a cynic, but well done to the Gentleman who inspired this.

50 minutes ago, PJPom said:

I hesitate to raise this but where will the money go ? A comedian in Australia raised 65 million dollars last year for the bushfire victims, a lot of them have not even received a cent . The charity that got the money is still tying it up with legal arguments, in other words Lawyers making money, charity executives getting fat salaries and P R firms making a fortune trying to put a positive spin on it. 
I would love to see the actual health workers get something direct, even a free petrol allowance or a travel pass for a year but I fear it will disappear into the bean counters clutches never to be seen again.

I am a cynic, but well done to the Gentleman who inspired this.

Would HGV drivers be included in this as they Keep even the doctors and Nurses able to go to work,  See the argument begins,

2 hours ago, Opl said:

At 6pm tonight Thai time he has raised over £13.7 million.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-52303859

 

18 minutes ago

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-8130433/Sam-Smith-goes-stages-quarantine-meltdown-self-isolation.html

Sam Smith sat outside his 12m pound mansion, dealing with his lockdown, he's actually gender fluid, one day maybe male, next day female, and another day who knows, maybe a saucepan! 

Capt Moore on the other hand is dealing with his situation slightly differently!

He is not fit to shine the shoes of Capt Moore!!!!!

Edited April 16, 20206 yr by roo860

A real man.

5 hours ago, PJPom said:

I hesitate to raise this but where will the money go ? A comedian in Australia raised 65 million dollars last year for the bushfire victims, a lot of them have not even received a cent . The charity that got the money is still tying it up with legal arguments, in other words Lawyers making money, charity executives getting fat salaries and P R firms making a fortune trying to put a positive spin on it. 
I would love to see the actual health workers get something direct, even a free petrol allowance or a travel pass for a year but I fear it will disappear into the bean counters clutches never to be seen again.

I am a cynic, but well done to the Gentleman who inspired this.

 

in the uk all charities are registered and anyone can check this registration very quickly on the charity commission web site. registered charities are regulated to ensure that while all charity organisations have costs the maximum possible of all donations are received by the intended recipient/s.

 

there was an piece on a uk news programme this morning with a breakdown of where the money would go, i dont remember the exact figures but well over 90% of each donation will go to the NHS

30 minutes ago, roo860 said:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-8130433/Sam-Smith-goes-stages-quarantine-meltdown-self-isolation.html

Sam Smith sat outside his 12m pound mansion, dealing with his lockdown, he's actually gender fluid, one day maybe male, next day female, and another day who knows, maybe a saucepan! 

Capt Moore on the other hand is dealing with his situation slightly differently!

He is not fit to shine the shoes of Capt Moore!!!!!

 

sam smith was dealing with their lockdown, yes, i know...

Mybe the people of Thailand should take a leaf out of captain Tom's book...

6 hours ago, Davo369 said:

Mybe the people of Thailand should take a leaf out of captain Tom's book...

Captain Tom is a fine example of Brits of his generation and he deserves all the plaudits he's been given - Yes, he should receive the highest award possible in the next Queen's honours list.

I just think it's unfortunate that you should use this story to suggest that such charitable actions do not occur here in Thailand.

For one example, “Toon” Kongmalai, front man for the rock band Bodyslam, ran 1,360 miles from the southern border to the edge of the far north over 55 days, raising over $33 million in donations to help 11 cash-strapped hospitals. <link to Bangkok post removed per forum rules, sorry> There are plenty of other, more recent (albeit, less publicised), examples. I seem to recall some Thai folks giving free food to foreigners stuck in Phuket.

Edited April 16, 20206 yr by Crossy

15+ million (GBP).