A 99-YEAR-OLD Second World War veteran who set himself the challenge of walking 100 lengths of his garden before his 100th birthday for charity has raised more than £5 million for the NHS in just over a day.
Having recently recovered from a hip operation, Captain Tom Moore was eager to show his appreciation during this time of national crisis for the many healthcare workers who helped him get back on his feet.
Tom is currently in lockdown with his family in Bedfordshire and set himself an initial target of £1,000 for the fundraiser.
However, a flood of donations from celebrities and members of the public have seen that figure soar to over £5 million and counting with Tom capturing the imagination of the watching world in the process.
Piers Morgan was among those to shine a light on Tom’s efforts with the Good Morning Britain presenter donating £10,000 to the fund during an appearance on the breakfast show.
In the space of a day, it is estimated that Tom received a donation every 20 seconds from someone in the UK or abroad eager to support his cause.
JustGiving, the company hosting the fundraiser, has also reported record numbers on Captain Tom's page.
As of 10:30am, on Wednesday, April 15, Tom had raised close to £5.4 million for the NHS.
Reacting to the latest milestone on social media, Caption Tom Moore tweeted:
“5 MILLION! Huge thank you to @JustGiving who had over 90,000 people on Tom's page at one time, and had to try ensure that the site didn't crash. WOW - just speechless.”
Originally from Keighley in Yorkshire, Tom trained as a civil engineer.
He went on to enlist in the army in 1940 for the Second World War, eventually rising to the rank of captain while serving in India and Burma during the conflict.
Still fighting fit, Tom had hoped to complete his 100-length challenge before his 100th birthday on April 30.
The good news is that he is actually ahead of schedule and due to hit that number by Thursday, April 16.
Anyone wishing to donate to the fund can do so here.
