Stepping from a shiny white vintage car, 104-year-old Oak Bay resident John Hillman teed up his walker Monday morning for 10 days of laps.
Hillman started walking laps of the courtyard at Carlton House where he lives in 2020, the year he turned 101. He paced 101 laps of the Carlton House courtyard that year, inspired by fellow veteran Capt. Tom Moore of England, who did 100 laps of his garden to raise money for charities. The fundraiser returned in 2021 with 102 laps and 2022 with 103 laps. To date, he has raised more than $333,000 for the cause.
This year, Hillman plans to walk about 10 laps a day from May 1 to 12, taking the weekend off and starting at 10:30 a.m. each day.
Kids return this year, with St. Christopher’s Montessori students walking Tuesday and Oak Bay High marching band making an appearance on Thursday.
Week two kicks off with Oak Bay Police Department members joining the laps and Oak Bay Fire Department joins the walk May 11. Bagpiper Jim Ritchie, who opened the walk May 1, plans to return May 10.
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In what has become tradition, singer Stephanie Greaves performs on the final day, May 12, when Save the Children CEO Danny Glenwright, Carlton House president Judi Prewett and MLA Murray Rankin are expected to walk with Hillman.
As the walk kicked off, Hillman’s fundraiser, targeting $104,000 was around $20,000.
Donate online at bit.ly/johnhillman104 or in person at Carlton House, 2080 Oak Bay Ave.