LEWIS CENTER, Ohio — Lawrence McCauley has seen a lot in his 97 years, but it was something he saw online with his son, Tom, that inspired him to get moving.
You may have seen the videos of Captain Tom Moore, too. He’s the British Army officer who walked laps in his garden to raise $40 million for UK healthcare workers.
McCauley’s son, Tom, says it sparked the idea.
“And I finally said, ‘Dad give a look at this guy, he’s 100 years old,’ and I said, ‘What do you think about that?’ And he says, ‘Well, we have the English over there contributing to fighting this war, let’s get the Americans involved,’” said Tom McCauley.
Little by little, with the support of family and friends by his side, McCauley hopes to reach 100 laps, if not more.
So far, they’ve raised more than $5,000 for the Mid-Ohio Food Bank.
“We feel as well as they do in England about food banks and people starving,” said Lawrence McCauley.
McCauley knows sacrifice. After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, he and his brothers signed up for the service.
The St. Mary High School graduate’s tour of duty saw him land on Omaha Beach during the invasion of Normandy in 1944.
And then in the Battle of the Bulge a few months later.
Just seeing his dad’s old uniform is an emotional experience for his son.
“Usually I walk by it and half the time I begin to tear up. I couldn’t imagine leaving my home for three and a half years — not being able to call, not being able to write,” said Tom McCauley.
Now the father of eight adult children, McCauley continues to serve his community and his country through the food bank fundraiser walk. And although Tom says his father doesn’t want to be considered a hero, he says he’s the heart of the greatest generation and giving back is just a part of who he is.
“If we don’t help each other out in times of need, then what good are we? We need to measure ourselves by the acts that we do,” said Tom McCauley.
If you would like to donate to Lawrence McCauley’s cause for the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, click here.
