Coronavirus: Veteran Tom Moore Celebrates 100 Years After Raising 30 Million For Caregivers – 20 minutes
While walking in his garden, Tom moore has raised over 31 million pounds for caregivers at
United Kingdom. Become a hero in the eyes of his compatriots, this veteran celebrates his 100 years this Thursday in full
coronavirus epidemic. An event followed by many Britons.
Blowing 100 candles is always an event, but for “Captain Tom”, the party takes on impressive proportions. His tireless round trips made with his walker, medals pinned on his jacket, have put balm in the hearts of the British who pay a heavy price with more than 26,000 dead with no beginning of deconfinement in sight.
A tribute from the air
For him alone, two Royal Air Force fighters generally deployed for events commemorating the Second World War, a Spitfire and a Hurricane, flew in the sky of Bedfordshire (county north of London). Tom Moore, named honorary colonel, greeted them with a gesture from his garden.
“I remember when they flew, not peacefully but in anger,” he commented live on the BBC. “I never, never expected anything like this in my life,” he added as the congratulatory messages poured in. A few minutes later, his online kitty exceeded the impressive sum of 31 million pounds, or 35 million euros.
“I know I speak for the whole country wishing you a very happy 100th birthday. Your heroic efforts have lifted the spirits of the whole nation, “said the Prime Minister. Boris Johnson, himself cured of the coronavirus.
Captain Tom – today, on your 100th birthday, allow me to express the admiration and gratitude of a whole nation for your heroic fundraising mission. pic.twitter.com/4sYkyGIQhb
– Boris Johnson #StayHomeSaveLives (@BorisJohnson) April 30, 2020
Over 140,000 birthday cards
The honors don’t stop there. This cricket fan was invited to meet the England team and a high-speed train was also named after him. The retiree from Yorkshire (north of England) also received more than 140,000 birthday cards sent from around the world, enough to fill the grand hall of his grandson Benjie’s school.
On April 6, “Captain Tom” challenged himself to collect 1,000 books for associations linked to the public health service, the NHS. He himself had set himself the goal of walking 100 times the width of 25 meters from his garden. He wanted to pay tribute to the caregivers who had cured him of cancer and a broken hip.
Ten days later, “Captain Tom” completed the last few meters of his journey, leaning on his walker, between two rows of soldiers at attention. Meanwhile, the generosity of the public has exceeded all expectations. Since then, this trained engineer who served in India and Burma has become a living legend, praised by the government as a “source of inspiration” for the country, in this unprecedented period of crisis. He also holds “the world record for the single person who raised the most money during a charity walk.”
