To the fanfare of fellow residents John Hillman, 102, rounded out 11 laps of the courtyard at his Oak Bay home Thursday.
Starting earlier than his anticipated 11 a.m. the Carlton House resident hit his stride on July 8, raising nearly $26,000 of his $102,000 goal for Save the Children.
He did 101 laps at Carlton House last year, inspired by the late Capt. Tom Moore in England, who did 100 laps of his garden – both raised nearly $150,000 for the charity of their choice. This year, Hillman covered 102 laps in less than two weeks and felt fit and happy as he finished.
“I was a bit excited, it went exceptionally well and the crowd was terrific,” Hillman said. “We had a big noisy crowd. It was amazing.”
RELATED: Donations lag as 102-year-old veteran laps Oak Bay courtyard for cause (video)
While the tally online Thursday afternoon neared $26,000 from more than 250 donors, it doesn’t account for the full amount just yet. Lucas Hill, 7, and Daniel Hill 5, heard about Hillman’s laps and arrived at the Oak Bay Avenue seniors residence to donate their pocket money in person.
“If I’m 103 I’m going to try it again. I’m going to try and keep fit and able to walk,” Hillman said, admitting that would likely entail fewer than 10 laps a day. “103 is a bit ambitious, but we’ll see.”
Learn more about the charity and donate at savethechildren.akaraisin.com/teamsave/hillman.
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