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'At the end of the day we shall all be ok': Veteran Captain Tom Moore completes 100th lap as he raises more than £13m for NHS

99-year-old veteran completed the challenge on Thursday 16 April

Sabrina Barr
Friday 17 April 2020 09:24 BST
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Captain Tom Moore completes 100th lap as he raises more than 12m for NHS

Army veteran Captain Tom Moore has completed the 100th lap of his garden while raising more than £12m for NHS Charities Together.

Captain Moore, who served in India and Burma, recently set out his plan to walk 10 laps of his garden every day until he reached 100 in total, prior to his 100th birthday at the end of the month.

Completing his 100th lap on Thursday 16 April, Captain Moore offered words of hope on BBC Breakfast, stating: "At the end of the day we shall all be ok.

"The sun will shine on you again and the clouds will go away."

The 99-year-old, from Keighley, Yorkshire, originally intended on raising £1,000 for the NHS as healthcare workers across the country take care of patients amid the coronavirus pandemic.

As news of his initiative spread, the target on his JustGiving page steadily increased until it reached £500,000.

Since launching his campaign, the retired British army captain has raised more than 2,400 per cent of his initial target, receiving donations from more than 620,000 supporters.

On Thursday 16 April, Captain Moore completed the 100th lap of his garden.

His efforts to raise money for the NHS during the Covid-19 has inspired people far and wide, prompting supporting messages from high-profile figures including Rio Ferdinand and Deborah Meaden.

Furthermore, during the government's daily press conference, health secretary Matt Hancock offered the veteran words of praise in his opening address.

Retired British Army Captain Tom Moore, 99

"I want to pay a special tribute today to Captain Tom Moore," Mr Hancock said.

"Captain Tom, you're an inspiration to us all, and we thank you."

On Thursday, the nation will take part in the fourth weekly Clap For Our Carers event as a show of care workers across the country.

In light of Captain Moore's extraordinary fundraising efforts, the hashtag "#ClapForTom" began trending on Twitter, with people stating they wish for their applause to be in tribute to the veteran as well.

"I don’t know about anyone else, but tonight I’m clapping for Tom!" one person tweeted.

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