A national and international hero, Captain Sir Tom Moore, died on Feb. 2, 2021. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Moore aimed to raise 1,000 pounds for the United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS) by walking 100 laps in his garden. He planned to split the laps into groups of 10, and wanted to complete them before his 100th birthday on April 30, 2020. One day after Moore began his laps, he had raised almost 6,333 pounds. According to the Seattle Times, the Tuesday after Moore started his laps, the donations were at 904,781 pounds. During his final laps on Thursday, which were livestreamed by the BBC and can be seen here, Moore hit approximately 10.86 million pounds in donations. When Moore shut down the fundraising page on his 100th birthday, he had raised over 28 million pounds (the equivalent of just over $39 million in America) for the NHS and its supporting charities.

Moore grew up in Keighly, West Yorkshire. He joined the 146th Royal Armored Corps, according to the Washington Post, and served in India and Myanmar during World War II. In more recent years, before the pandemic, Moore had broken his hip. He was treated by the NHS, and, as his daughters told the BBC, the staff was “unfalteringly professional, kind and compassionate and have given us many more years with him than we ever would have imagined.” Moore’s positive time at the NHS is what led to his fundraising walks, and from there he became a world-wide hero.

During and after his fundraising, Moore gained major publicity. Many world-famous superstars such as actors, wrestlers, and even the royal family of England commended Moore for his hard work and good deeds. Moore became an honorary colonel of the British Army, and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. Moore also inspired many people to join the effort, from kids with mental and physical disabilities to everyday adults and even the elderly.

Captain Sir Tom Moore was a brave and courageous man who encouraged others to try their hardest. He was an inspiration and an international hero who will, hopefully, never be forgotten.