Captain Tom's 100Th Birthday: 150,000 Cards and a Promotion for Fundraiser

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Captain Tom's 100th birthday: 150,000 cards and a promotion for fundraiser By Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff on 05.08.20 Word Count 693 Level MAX

Image 1. The thousands of birthday cards sent to Captain Tom Moore for his 100th birthday on April 30, 2020, are displayed in the hall of a school closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bedford, England, April 29, 2020. Moore raised money for Britain's National Health Service (NHS) by walking 100 laps of his garden. Photo: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Captain Tom Moore is a heart-stealing British war veteran. He walked the length of his garden to raise money for Britain's National Health Service. He turned 100 on April 30, just as donations to his fundraiser climbed to £31 million ($39 million).

On his birthday morning, his name once again trended on social media. Thousands worldwide offered well wishes to the man. Many called him a "legend."

Britain is still in a state of lockdown due to the coronavirus crisis. However, Moore's milestone birthday brought widespread celebration. The veteran served in India during World War II. He was honored with a flyby above his home in Bedfordshire. The county is 50 miles north of London. Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Boris Johnson led tributes.

The Royal Mail service issued a special postmark. It stamped letters with his name and birth date. Children across the country made and sent him more than 150,000 birthday cards. They are being

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. displayed in the hall of his grandson's school. A railway train was named after him, street art featuring Moore's face popped up across the country and a special birthday message was displayed on a giant screen in London's Piccadilly Circus.

But perhaps the greatest gift of all was an honorary title change from captain to colonel.

Moore was born in 1920. He called his promotion "the icing on the cake." Taking to Twitter, the Ministry of Defence wrote: "In recognition of his incredible fundraising achievements for @NHSuk charities, @captaintommoore has been appointed as the first Honorary Colonel of the Army Foundation College, Harrogate."

"His mature wisdom, no-nonsense attitude and humor in adversity make him an inspirational role model to generations young and old," said the British Army's Chief of the General Staff. Moore was also gifted a Second World War Defence Medal. It replaces the one he had lost earlier.

Moore's rise to stardom and to the ranks of a national treasure began in early April. That was when he set out to raise £1,000 (nearly $1,250) for the health service and its staff by walking the 82-foot length of his garden back and forth 100 times. He used his walker for support. He sought to complete the laps ahead of his birthday on April 30.

But just 24 hours after Moore started, he had shattered his target, raising the equivalent of $8,750. From then on, the donations grew. So did news of his ambitious fundraising efforts. Moore increased his goal to a quarter-million pounds and carried on walking. What followed was a staggering wave of support from around the world, with over 1 million people giving money to support his goal — an act that sparked his JustGiving page to crash countless times in recent weeks.

Moore completed his final lap two weeks ahead of schedule, and the figure hit $15 million. Even today, it continues to climb. All funds raised will go to a group of charities that helps support the chronically underfunded health care system as it fights to beat back a virus that has claimed 26,097 lives in the United Kingdom.

His fundraising page was set to close at midnight on April 30, local time.

In recent days, Moore added another string to his bow: a number 1 U.K. hit single. A recording of the song "You'll Never Walk Alone" shattered another record as he became the oldest artist to reach the official No. 1 position in the music charts.

On April 30, Johnson issued a video message on Twitter that directly addressed the newly titled colonel. He said, "Your heroic efforts have lifted the spirits of an entire nation," before thanking the veteran for becoming a "point of light in all our lives."

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Moore spent the day waving at helicopters, fronting television interviews and posing for photographs holding a telegram he received from the queen. The telegram is a royal birthday wish that any resident turning 100 is eligible for.

"100 years young today," Moore wrote on social media on April 30. "Today will be a good day."

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Quiz

1 What is the MOST likely reason the author included the various tributes the British government and citizens have given Moore?

(A) to illustrate how hundredth birthdays are typically celebrated in the United Kingdom

(B) to illustrate the effects of Moore's fundraising efforts

(D) to illustrate that few people live to be 100

2 Which answer choice MOST accurately characterizes Moore's response to meeting his initial fundraising goal?

(A) He decided to contribute the funds raised beyond his goal to other countries affected by coronavirus.

(B) He decided to increase his fundraising goal for the National Health Service.

(D) He decided to walk the length of his garden an additional time for every additional $1 million raised.

3 Read the sentence from the article.

So did news of his ambitious fundraising efforts.

Which of the following words, if it replaced "ambitious" in the sentence above, would CHANGE the meaning of the sentence?

(A) impossible

(B) determined

(D) grand

4 What does the phrase "another string to his bow" suggest as it is used in this selection?

(A) an unused skill

(B) an unexpected surprise

(D) an unusual approach to charity

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Answer Key