At age 100, World War II Veteran Mickey Nelson has just completed walking 100 miles for charity. He wished to raise money for the Salvation Army so they could feed more people in need. Mickey got the idea from another inspirational WWII vet named Tom Moore, who is a British WWII vet who completed walking around his garden 100 times to help raise funds for Britain’s healthcare system. More would end up raising millions of dollars thanks to his efforts and became an inspiration to many around the world, such as Mickey. When the American vet saw the impact Moore’s heartwarming act had on his community, he knew that was something he wanted to do as well.
According to Alive, his daughter Michelle told reporters, “And dad said, ‘He’s using a walker, I’m pretty sure I can walk 100 miles without a walker.'”
So Mickey began walking and did not stop until he achieved his goal. And n the day he finished his 100th mile, the community celebrated his incredible achievement. Mickey received a ride on a vintage @@II Army Jeep, along with a few WWII reenactors.
The reenactors even drove Mickey to a local bar where they all sat around on picnic tables and enjoyed some cool refreshing sodas.
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After that, it was finally time for Mickey to complete his 100-mile walk. As the elderly man made his way around the block, he also had with him quite a few supporters.
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Mickey’s friends, family, and neighbors, even the reenactors, were all there to walk with Mickey as he finished his final mile. Michelle said about her father:
“He’s a really special guy, and we’re just blessed to have him in our lives.”
While his original goal was only to raise $5,000, Mickey exceeded that modest goal by quite a bit. To date, he’s raised over $100,000 toward helping feed the hungry in America, and the donations continue pouring in.
One of the reasons Mickey felt so passionate about raising money for the hungry had to do with his own experiences living through The Great Depression. Mickey understands what it meant to be hungry.
He told reporters, “Those were tough days in Depression days. I remember the bread lines in those days. They were lining up for something to eat. It left a mark on me that people needed food.”
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Mickey is living proof that you should always strive to meet your goals no matter young or old you are! For more about Mickey’s inspirational story, you can watch the video below.
