Tom Moore1920-2021
An old man, his cane on his walker is saluted as he walks between two rows of saluting soldiers.
He is living embodiment of proof that one person can make a difference.
This was Tom Moore, a WWII veteran, who wanted to raise £1000 pounds for the British Health Service by walking 100 laps around his garden for his 100th birthday.
He didn't raise £1000.
He raised over £30 million and captured the hearts of the British people.
In his last years he was showered with honors including:
- Pride of Britain Award
- Honorary Colonel of the Army Foundation College, Harrorgage
- Yorkshire Regiment Medal
- Point of Light
- Blue Peter Badge
- Freedom of Keighley
- Freedom of London
- Knight Bachelor bestowed by Queen Elizabeth
- Honorary Doctorate Cranfield University.
Moore did not do it for the honors. He did it because he wanted to show appreciation for the National Health Service, NHS, giving it more love than perhaps those in government who decree what funds should do there.
When the fund reached £5 million, he said: "When we started off with this exercise we didn't anticipate we'd get anything near that sort of money. It's really amazing. All of them, from top to bottom, in the National Health Service, they deserve everything that we can possibly put in their place. They're all so brave. Because every morning or every night they're putting themselves into harm's way, and I think you've got to give them full marks for that effort. We're a little bit like having a war at the moment. But the doctors and the nurses, they're all on the front line, and all of us behind, we've got to supply them and keep them going with everything that they need, so that they can do their jobs even better than they're doing now."
Moore died of the Covoid virus.
He made a difference -- one old man walking in his garden.
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