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Captain Tom Moore's 'Walk for NHS' fundraiser reaches £20m

British World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore, 99, poses doing a lap of his garden in the village of Marston Moretaine, 50 miles north of London, on April 16, 2020. - A 99-year-old British World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore on April 16 completed 100 laps of his garden in a fundraising challenge for healthcare staff that has "captured the heart of the nation", raising more than £13 million ($16.2 million, 14.9 million euros). "Incredible and now words fail me," Captain Moore said, after finishing the laps of his 25-metre (82-foot) garden with his walking frame. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
British World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore completed 100 laps of his garden on April 16 - and has now raised over £20million. (Getty Images)

Captain Tom Moore has now raised over £20m for the NHS to help fund the frontline fight against the coronavirus.

The WW2 veteran, 99, originally wanted to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together by completing 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday on 30 April.

Known to many as Captain Tom, the inspirational pensioner completed his challenge on 16 April just one week after launching the “Captain Tom Moore's 100th Birthday Walk for the NHS” fundraiser on JustGiving.

On Friday evening, Captain Tom’s total hit £20,005,301, after more than 977,000 people worldwide contributed to his fundraising cause.

British World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore, 99, sits on a bench in the village of Marston Moretaine, 50 miles north of London, on April 16, 2020. - A 99-year-old British World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore on April 16 completed 100 laps of his garden in a fundraising challenge for healthcare staff that has "captured the heart of the nation", raising more than £13 million ($16.2 million, 14.9 million euros). "Incredible and now words fail me," Captain Moore said, after finishing the laps of his 25-metre (82-foot) garden with his walking frame. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Captain Tom has vowed to keep walking to raise as much money for the NHS as possible. (Getty Images)

War hero Tom is continuing to smash his target - and has vowed to keep walking as long as the money keeps coming.

His efforts have captured the hearts and minds of the nation - with over nearly one million people singing a petition calling for the Captain to be given a knighthood by the Queen.

And the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge offered their congratulations to Captain Tom on Friday morning - calling him a “one man fundraising machine”.

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Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Prince William said: “It's incredible. It's amazing. What I love also is that he's a 99-year-old war vet, he's been around a long time, he knows everything and it's wonderful that everyone has been inspired by his story and his determination.

“I think he's a one man fundraising machine and God knows what the final total will be but good on him. I hope he keeps going.”

Captain Tom said of his achievement on BBC Radio 2’s Zoe Ball Breakfast Show: “It really is absolutely enormous isn't it. That sum of money is very difficult to imagine but it's coming in so well.”

His daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore said: “Tom is clear that as long as people believe that he's worth investing in, he will keep walking because this is for such a phenomenal cause.

LIVERPOOL,  UNITED KINGDOM- APRIL 16:  A nurse at Aintree University Hospital sheds a tear and as she pays tribute to super fundraiser Captain Tom Moore during the "Clap for Our Carers" and the NHS on April 16, 2020 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. Following the success of  the "Clap for Our Carers" campaign, members of the public are being encouraged to applaud NHS staff and other key workers from their homes at 8pm every Thursday. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has infected over 2 million people across the world, claiming at least 13,729 lives in the U.K. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
A nurse at Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool sheds a tear and as she pays tribute to super fundraiser Captain Tom. (Getty Images)

“We know that this story will have a life to it, so as long as people are donating we'll keep supporting my father to do it and he will keep walking.”

Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan contributed £10,000 of his own money to boost the coffers on his JustGiving page, tweeting: "This extraordinary man @captaintommoore has single-handedly galvanised Britain into raising cash for NHS heroes."

As he completed his final lap around his garden, Tom was saluted by four soldiers from Yorkshire Regiment who had travelled to support him.

Upon finishing his 100 laps, he told BBC Breakfast: “I never ever dreamt I would be involved in such an occasion. We're doing so well, and knowing that the reason we started off was for the NHS.

“I think you've all got to remember that we will get through it in the end, it will all be right but it might take time. All the people finding it difficult at the moment, the sun will shine again and the clouds will go away.”

You can donate to the Tom’s Walk for the NHS campaign at JustGiving.com.

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