London Marathon organisers and the family of the late Captain Sir Tom Moore have launched a major fundraising challenge event to mark what would have been his 101st birthday.
They are inviting people to take part in The Captain Tom 100 by coming up with challenges based on the number 100 to raise money for the Captain Tom Foundation or a charity of their choice over the early May bank holiday weekend from 30 April to 3 May.
The challenge was announced a year to the day after Second World War veteran Captain Tom Moore began his own challenge to raise money for NHS Charities Together by walking 100 laps of his garden before he turned 100.
His efforts caught the public and media attention and raised £38.9m including Gift Aid.
In a statement, London Marathon organisers said participants in The Captain Tom 100 were encouraged to take part however they wanted, “whether it’s walking 100 steps or running 100 metres, scoring 100 goals, baking 100 cakes, climbing 100 stairs, hopping 100 laps of the garden or park, building 100 sandcastles, writing a 100-word poem, telling 100 people ‘tomorrow will be a good day’, flipping 100 pancakes – anything at all, inside or outside (but in line with current government social distancing guidelines)".
Participants will be invited to share their challenge on social media using #CaptainTom100.
Hannah Ingram-Moore, Moore’s daughter, said: “We are so grateful for the incredible support we have received since my father started his record-breaking fundraising walk and that his message of hope was shared with the world.
“Captain Tom was very proud to be able to leave behind the growing legacy of his Foundation and the Captain Tom 100 feels like the perfect way to celebrate the hope and joy we know he inspired in so many.
“He would have loved the idea that everyone could get involved and that together we would ensure that ‘tomorrow will be a good day’. We look forward to celebrating with you and seeing how you do the Captain Tom 100 – your way.”
The event echoes the 2.6 Challenge, which London Marathon organisers ran last year on the weekend when the marathon was due to take place before it was postponed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, where participants were invited to undertake a fundraising activity based around the numbers 2.6 or 26.
That event raised £11m for 4,000 charities and broke the record as the largest collective fundraising effort to date.
More information can be found here.
This news article was taken from Third Sector & written by Rebecca Cooney.