A 100-year-old veteran who raised tens of millions of dollars for the National Health Service during the coronavirus pandemic will be knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
Tom Moore, a World War II veteran, raised nearly $40 million for the United Kingdom’s medical system by doing a charity walk to honor his 100th birthday in April. Moore walked the length of his 82-foot garden 100 times. His effort caught global attention, and he shattered his goal of raising £1,000, roughly $1,250, by earning tens of millions.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who suffered his own bout of COVID-19, nominated Moore for knighthood for his work. On Wednesday, the queen announced that she would be accepting Johnson’s nomination and knighting Moore.
“I certainly feel that I’ve been given a very outstanding honor by the queen and the prime minister,” Moore told BBC. “And I thank them all very much. I am certainly delighted.”
“I hope she’s not very heavy-handed with the sword,” Moore added. “By then, I might be rather a poor old weak soul.”
In his nomination, Johnson called Moore an inspiration.
“Col. Tom’s fantastic fundraising broke records, inspired the whole country, and provided us all with a beacon of light through the fog of coronavirus,” Johnson said. “On behalf of everyone who has been moved by his incredible story, I want to say a huge thank you.”
