A 99-year-old war veteran in the United Kingdom has been hailed as a hero for his fundraising efforts. Captain Tom Moore has raised over $25 million for the UK's National Health Service (NHS) by walking around his garden 100 times. The World War II vet came up with the idea of raising just £1,000 to thank NHS staff for helping him with treatment for cancer and a broken hip. Mr Moore set up a donation page on a fundraising website. He said he would do 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday on April the 30th. His endeavours caught the imagination of the British public, who have been donating millions of dollars a day to support him. Prince William called him a "one-man fundraising machine".
Captain Moore completed his 100 laps on Thursday. He vowed he would not stop walking as long as people are still donating. Over half a million people have signed a petition for the UK government to award a knighthood to Captain Moore. He would then become Sir Tom Moore. The soon-to-be centenarian was overwhelmed by the public response to his efforts. He said: "I appreciate it because the object for which we're donating, [the NHS,] is so important." The UK's "Independent" newspaper commended Captain Tom's efforts but said the government should be funding the NHS. It wrote: "In the midst of dark times, stories like these bring lightness. Yet such altruism is a damning reflection on the state of our NHS."
