Veteran's garden walk raises $16M for UK health service

Associated Press

Updated April 16, 2020 at 9:19 PM·2 min read

99-year-old war veteran Captain Tom Moore, poses for a photo at his home in Marston Moretaine, England, after he achieved his goal of 100 laps of his garden, raising millions of pounds for the NHS with donations to his fundraising challenge from around the world, Thursday April 16, 2020. Moore started walking laps in his garden as a humble fundraising challenge to walk 100 lengths of his garden by his 100th birthday on April 30, and has now raised millions for the National Health Service and become a national rallying point during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. His family thought it would be a stretch to raise 1,000 pounds, but donors have pledged millions of pounds and still counting. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

99-year-old war veteran Captain Tom Moore, poses with family members, from left, grandson Benji, daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and granddaughter Georgia, at his home in Marston Moretaine, England, after he achieved his goal of 100 laps of his garden, raising millions of pounds for the NHS with donations to his fundraising challenge from around the world, Thursday April 16, 2020. Moore started walking laps in his garden as a humble fundraising challenge to walk 100 lengths of his garden by his 100th birthday on April 30, and has now raised millions for the National Health Service and become a national rallying point during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. His family thought it would be a stretch to raise 1,000 pounds, but donors have pledged millions of pounds and still counting. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

99-year old British military veteran Tom Moore, who has completed the 100th length of his garden at his home in Marston Moretaine, raising millions of pounds for the NHS with donations to his fundraising challenge from around the world, Thursday April 16, 2020. Moore started walking laps in his garden as a humble fundraising challenge to walk 100 lengths of his garden by his 100th birthday on April 30, and has now raised millions for the National Health Service and become a national rallying point during the coronavirus pandemic. His family thought it would be a stretch to raise 1,000 pounds, but more than 250,000 donors have pledged millions of pounds and still counting. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Military personnel and others welcome 99-year old British military veteran Tom Moore, completing the 100th length of his garden at his home in Marston Moretaine, raising millions of pounds for the NHS with donations to his fundraising challenge from around the world, Thursday April 16, 2020. Moore started walking laps in his garden as a humble fundraising challenge to walk 100 lengths of his garden by his 100th birthday on April 30, and has now raised millions for the National Health Service and become a national rallying point during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. His family thought it would be a stretch to raise 1,000 pounds, but more than 250,000 donors have pledged millions of pounds and still counting. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

99-year old British military veteran Tom Moore, completing the 100th length of his garden at his home in Marston Moretaine, raising millions of pounds for the NHS with donations to his fundraising challenge from around the world, Thursday April 16, 2020. Moore started walking laps in his garden as a humble fundraising challenge to walk 100 lengths of his garden by his 100th birthday on April 30, and has now raised millions for the National Health Service and become a national rallying point during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. His family thought it would be a stretch to raise 1,000 pounds, but more than 250,000 donors have pledged millions of pounds and still counting. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Virus Outbreak Britain Veteran's Thanks

99-year-old war veteran Captain Tom Moore, poses for a photo at his home in Marston Moretaine, England, after he achieved his goal of 100 laps of his garden, raising millions of pounds for the NHS with donations to his fundraising challenge from around the world, Thursday April 16, 2020. Moore started walking laps in his garden as a humble fundraising challenge to walk 100 lengths of his garden by his 100th birthday on April 30, and has now raised millions for the National Health Service and become a national rallying point during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. His family thought it would be a stretch to raise 1,000 pounds, but donors have pledged millions of pounds and still counting. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

LONDON (AP) — A 99-year-old World War II veteran has completed his quest to walk 100 laps of his garden in eastern England and raised 13 million pounds ($16 million) for Britain’s National Health Service.

Tom Moore's humble mission to support health care workers during the coronavirus pandemic became a national rallying point. Tens of thousands of Britons pledged donations as Moore pursued a goal of finishing the laps before his 100th birthday on April 30.

With the aid of a walking frame, he reached his target Thursday. Nine soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment, a unit linked to Moore's former British army regiment, lined the paved walkway in his Bedfordshire backyard, forming an honor guard for the veteran's final laps.

“I’ve fought so many battles and we’ve always won, and we’re going to win again,” Moore told British broadcaster ITV.

He added that health workers on the front line “deserve everything we can give them.”

Moore started the fundraiser as a way to thank the doctors and nurses who cared for him after his broke his hip. His family initially set a target of raising 1,000 pounds. The campaign went viral after Moore appeared on national television, and millions were raised within a week.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Moore “embodied the spirit of the country.”

“Tom has captured the heart of the nation with his heroic efforts,” Johnson spokesman James Slack said.

Prince William has also written to Moore and made an undisclosed donation, Kensington Palace said.

Moore's daughter Hannah said her father had become “a beacon of hope for people” during challenging times. She described the donations as “beyond words.”

Moore trained as a civil engineer before enlisting in the army during World War II. He rose to the rank of captain and served in India and Burma.

The online fundraising platform JustGiving said Moore's campaign created the largest donation the site has ever made.

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Veteran's garden walk raises $16M for UK health service

Virus Outbreak Britain Veteran's Thanks