We’re so happy for him.
Captain Tom Moore made quite the name for himself recently after completing 100 laps of his garden while in lockdown in hopes to raise money for the NHS.
100 laps doesn’t seem so much, right? Well, this gentleman just turned 100 years old. He is a World War II veteran and decided to complete the 100 laps before he turned 100 in April.
His fund-raising efforts ended up being a massive success. The captain set out to raise £1,000 for NHS charities but actually ended up raising more than £32m. That’s the equivalent of almost €36m so, eh, yeah, a LOT.
Now, Captain Tom Moore is due to become Captain Sir Thomas Moore because he is to be knighted for his fundraising efforts.
He was put forward for the knighthood after a special nomination from the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, who said that the centenarian had provided the UK with “a beacon of light through the fog of coronavirus”.
The queen has already approved the knighthood and it was formally announced today.
Before being awarded the title of Sir, the captain received the honorary title of colonel on his 100th birthday. He was also treated to a flyby from the RAF, birthday greetings from the Queen and UK prime minister, and about 140,000 birthday cards. Not a bad birthday celebration at all.
Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer said of Captain Tom:
“In his actions, Tom embodied the national solidarity which has grown throughout this crisis, and showed us that everyone can play their part in helping build a better future.”
Three cheers for Captain Tom.
Remember that #tomorrowwillbeagoodday – all my love, Tom pic.twitter.com/RohyPV27pV
— Captain Sir Tom Moore (@captaintommoore) April 11, 2020